Govt sets deadline for former PMs to pay IAF dues

Govt sets deadline for former PMs to pay IAF dues
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 15: The Centre on Wednesday informed the Delhi High Court that it had set December 31 as the deadline for four former Prime Ministers to pay up Rs 13.57 crore due from them for using IAF aircraft for personal purposes failing which legal action will be initiated.

Additional Solicitor General (ASG) S B Jaisinghani told a division bench comprising Justices Arun Kumar and D K Jain that the Government in a recent meeting with the leaders of political parties, to which the former premiers belonged, made it clear that the payment should be cleared as per the norms and conditions by December 31.

The court was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking recovery of the dues from late premier Rajiv Gandhi, former Prime Ministers Chandrashekhar, P V Narasimha Rao and H D Deve Gowda. The PIL by advocate B L Wadhera had alleged that Rs 5.92 crore were due from chandrashekhar, Rs 5.52 crore from Rao, Rs 1.86 crore from Gandhi and Rs 26.46 lakh from Gowda.

Jaisinghani and counsel RakeshTiku, representing the Defence Ministry, submitted that Congress had sought concession in the billing saying the party was finding it difficult to clear the payment on account of use of the aircraft by Gandhi and Narasimha Rao, while Chandrashekhar's Samajwadi Janata Party had expressed its inability to make the payment claiming it had no funds.

They said bills regarding the pending dues had already been sent to the concerned political parties.