Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Amendment Bill, 2019

Topic covered:

Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Amendment Bill, 2019

What to study?

For prelims: Key provisions of the bill.

For mains: Need for and significance of the bill, challenges present and other ways to address these challenges.

Context: Parliament has passed Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Amendment Bill, 2019 for speedy eviction of unauthorised occupants from government residential accommodations.

Highlights of the Bill:

1. The Bill amends the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1971.  The Act provides for the eviction of unauthorised occupants from public premises in certain cases. 
2. Notice for eviction: The Bill adds a provision laying down the procedure for eviction from residential accommodation.  It requires an estate officer (an officer of the central government) to issue a written notice to a person if he is in unauthorised occupation of a residential accommodation. The notice will require the person to show cause of why an eviction order should not be made against him, within three working days. The written notice must be fixed to a conspicuous part of the accommodation, in a prescribed manner. 
3. Order of eviction:After considering the cause shown, and making any other inquiries, the estate officer will make an order for eviction.  If the person fails to comply with the order, the estate officer may evict such person from the residential accommodation, and take possession of it.  For this purpose, the estate officer may also use such force as necessary.
4. Payment of damages: If the person in unauthorised occupation of the residential accommodation challenges the eviction order passed by the estate officer in court, he will be required to pay damages for every month of such occupation.

Impact:

• The amendments will facilitate smooth and speedy eviction of unauthorised occupants from Government residences, and those vacant residences will be available for allotment to eligible persons on maturity of their turn in the waiting list. 
• This will decrease the waiting time for availing the facility of residential accommodation.

Background:

The Government of India has to evict unauthorized occupants from Government accommodations under the provisions of PPE Act, 1971. However, the eviction proceedings take unusually long time, thereby reducing the availability of Government accommodations to new incumbents.

Under the existing PPE Act,1971 as amended by PPE Amendment Bill, 2015, the eviction proceeding take around 5 to 7 weeks’ time. However, it takes much longer, even years, to evict unauthorized occupants.

Sources: the Hindu.