Chandigarh: The Punjab Government have issued exhaustive directions to all the officials/officers enjoying government accommodation to properly maintain gardens and green area adjoining accommodation otherwise they would be liable for punitive action by their respective Heads of the Departments (HODs).
According to an official spokesperson, where the garden attached to Government residential buildings has been laid out, and hedges, trees, shrubs and vegetation of a lasting character have been planted; the Government like any other landlord was entitled to see that these amenities were properly maintained. He said that tenants of Government residences would be required for the proper up-keep up of the grounds as a condition of their tenancy. In the case of default, the Head of the Department was empowered to call upon the occupant to bring the grounds up to a proper standard of up keep and, if necessary, to authorize the entertainment of establishment and incurring of expenditure to that end, charging the same to the tenant as an addition to the rent.
The spokesman said that all trees whether planted by tenant or not, in the compound of Government residence, are the property of Government. He said that no standing trees should be felled nor may dead or fallen trees be appropriated by the tenant for any use whatever, without the sanction of the authority competent.
Divulging more information, the spokesperson said that the share of responsibilities between in-going and out-going incumbents for any expenditure incurred in compliance with the above orders would be determined according to the circumstances, the Head of the Department being arbiter in the case of a dispute.
The spokesperson further said that the tenant of a Government residential building is entitled to the value of the fruit, flowers, and vegetables, grass of crops sown or raised by him and which may be disposed of by him during the actual period of his tenancy. He said that a tenant was not entitled to hire out or lease any portion of his compound for the growing of crops though there was no objection to his employing outside agency to cultivate the area and realizing the value of produce so raised during his tenancy.
Giving more details he said that any advance sale of immature crops or other produce was prohibited. He said that any adjustment of value of uncut or immature crops or produce was a matter for mutual agreement between the out-going and in-going tenants.
He said that where a residence and an office were situated in the same compound a reasonable area, subject to a maximum of 1.2 hectares would be fixed and demarcated under the orders of the Head of the Department as attached to the residence, the rest area being considered attached to the office. Clarifying further he said that in the case of a compound containing residential quarters only, the whole area of compound would be considered as attached to the residence. He said that the tenants, however, would be required to be maintained properly an area up to and not exceeding 1.2 hectares only in accordance with the rules.
