<p>Regional PDP president and former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Mehbooba Mufti, on Wednesday clarified that purchases of Rs 82 lakh, as revealed in an RTI query, had not been done for her home ‘but is property of Hospitality and Protocol department.”</p>.<p>An RTI response has revealed that Mehbooba spent Rs 82 lakh on purchase of furniture, bed-sheets, television sets, carpets and other luxury items from January to June 2018 when she was the CM of the erstwhile State heading the PDP-BJP coalition.</p>.<p>The RTI response reveals on a single day on March 28, 2018, the PDP president purchased carpets worth Rs 28 lakh, while in June that year she incurred more than Rs 25 lakh on various items, including LED televisions. Cutlery items worth Rs 40 lakh were bought from August 2016 to July 2018, the RTI reply reads.</p>.<p>However, while rejecting the allegation against her, Mehbooba said, “All these purchases were made for the Hospitality and Protocol department store and not for my personal home. Secondly, this department also caters to deputy CM, governor and other dignitaries.”</p>.<p>On June 19, 2018, the BJP withdrew from the alliance government in J&K and the same day Mehbooba resigned as the CM. She lives in a government accommodation on Gupkar Road, one of the posh addresses in Srinagar.</p>.<p>After the revocation of the Article 370 and bifurcation of the erstwhile state into two union territories in August 2019, the Centre repealed section 3 of the State Legislative Members Pension Act 1984 which entitled former chief ministers to different perks and privileges like retaining rent-free government provided accommodation. </p>.<p>They were also entitled to Rs 35,000 per annum for furnishing of the residential accommodation, free telephone calls up to Rs 48,000 per annum, free electricity up to Rs 1,500 per month, car petrol, and driver medical facilities.</p>
<p>Regional PDP president and former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Mehbooba Mufti, on Wednesday clarified that purchases of Rs 82 lakh, as revealed in an RTI query, had not been done for her home ‘but is property of Hospitality and Protocol department.”</p>.<p>An RTI response has revealed that Mehbooba spent Rs 82 lakh on purchase of furniture, bed-sheets, television sets, carpets and other luxury items from January to June 2018 when she was the CM of the erstwhile State heading the PDP-BJP coalition.</p>.<p>The RTI response reveals on a single day on March 28, 2018, the PDP president purchased carpets worth Rs 28 lakh, while in June that year she incurred more than Rs 25 lakh on various items, including LED televisions. Cutlery items worth Rs 40 lakh were bought from August 2016 to July 2018, the RTI reply reads.</p>.<p>However, while rejecting the allegation against her, Mehbooba said, “All these purchases were made for the Hospitality and Protocol department store and not for my personal home. Secondly, this department also caters to deputy CM, governor and other dignitaries.”</p>.<p>On June 19, 2018, the BJP withdrew from the alliance government in J&K and the same day Mehbooba resigned as the CM. She lives in a government accommodation on Gupkar Road, one of the posh addresses in Srinagar.</p>.<p>After the revocation of the Article 370 and bifurcation of the erstwhile state into two union territories in August 2019, the Centre repealed section 3 of the State Legislative Members Pension Act 1984 which entitled former chief ministers to different perks and privileges like retaining rent-free government provided accommodation. </p>.<p>They were also entitled to Rs 35,000 per annum for furnishing of the residential accommodation, free telephone calls up to Rs 48,000 per annum, free electricity up to Rs 1,500 per month, car petrol, and driver medical facilities.</p>
