The Supreme Court on Friday granted relief to Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra in a dispute over access to the Krishnanagar Circuit House in West Bengal, relaxing the advance-notice requirement for her visits and calling for a uniform protocol governing the allotment of government guest houses and circuit houses to elected representatives.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi modified a September 1 communication issued by the Nadia district administration, which required Members of Parliament and Members of Legislative Assemblies to provide three to four days’ advance notice before seeking accommodation at government guest houses and circuit houses. Under the modified arrangement, Moitra will be required to inform the administration only one day before her proposed visit, subject to room availability and applicable protocol.
“These are not issues which, in fact, should come to the Court. Probably what we require is only a small SOP,” CJI Surya Kant observed, emphasising the need for a clear administrative framework to prevent such disputes from reaching the judiciary.
The proceedings arose from Moitra’s plea alleging that she had been asked to vacate the Krishnanagar Circuit House late at night on August 14, despite having secured accommodation there. She claimed that a crowd had gathered outside the premises while she was being directed to leave.
Appearing for Moitra, Senior Advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan submitted that the MP had been using the Circuit House for several years and had previously obtained accommodation with only three to four hours’ notice. He argued that the subsequent communication prescribing a longer notice period had altered the established arrangement following the incident.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the West Bengal government, disputed the allegation that Moitra had been evicted. He submitted that the Circuit House was undergoing maintenance and that alternative government accommodation had been offered to her. He also maintained that the September 1 communication was intended to facilitate administrative planning and was not directed specifically at the TMC MP.
Mehta explained that last-minute accommodation requests could pose logistical difficulties when rooms were already occupied, although the administration sought to accommodate eligible visitors wherever possible. He subsequently offered to withdraw the existing communication and replace it with a standard operating procedure
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