S.S.SODHI. J. - (1.) The allotment of Government residential accommodation to .Journalists or Press Correspondents, their entitlment to it and the legality thereof is what emerges as the main point in issue here.
(2.) In the matter of Government residential houses being allotted to Journalists or Press Correspondents who the Chandigarh Administration took a policy decision that, "the houses from all those Journalists/Press Correspondents who have attained the age of 60 years or transferred outside Chandigarh be got vacated in accordance with the policy/rules which are applicable to other allottees. In case the Journalists/Press Correspondents do not vacate the houses, eviction proceedings under the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act. 1972, be started forthwith." This was conveyed to the Secretary, House Allotment Committee, Chhandigarh Administration of Septeber 6, 1990. It was in the context of the challenge to this policy decision by the petitioner S.P.Gupta, Accredited Correspondent the "Danik Shivalik Sandesh", who had been allotted Government residential accommodation as far back as 1986 and had since crossed the age of 60 years, that the question regarding the very allotment of such accommodation to Journalists or Press Correspondent has been posed.
(3.) It would be pertinent to mention here (as brought out in the connected with petition) that it was on his retirement from the post of Joint Director Public Relations, Haryana, that the petitioner S. P. Gupta becacme an Accredited Press Correspondent and it was then in his status, as such, that he was allotted Government residential accommodation.;