M A I N   N E W S

New Delhi, April 27
President Pratibha Patil has expressed anguish over media reports that she was going to occupy an accommodation allotted to her by the Defence Ministry reserved for war widows after her retirement. She has not only denied the reports, but also announced that she has decided to forgo the facility of life-long government accommodation available to all former Presidents.

A statement was issued by the Rashtrapati Bhawan today stating that President Patil has been “reading and watching the unfolding of some fallacious observations regarding the accommodation in Pune which she was to occupy after relinquishing the office of the President.”

The statement regretted that “despite clarifications given by the President’s secretariat, it is unfortunate that misgivings continue to persist,” and added that “she is now being portrayed by some people as one who, by agreeing to accept a defence accommodation for her post-retirement home, is insensitive to the cause of war widows and ex-servicemen.”

Insisting that facts are to the contrary, the statement said, “The accommodation proposed to be allocated to her by the Ministry of Defence was never indicated as one earmarked for war widows,” and also that “It was to be allotted to her only during her lifetime with no rights of ownership, transfer lease etc.

“However considering the fact that the issue had got linked with the issue of war widows accommodation by some people, the President has chosen to forgo the aforesaid allotment of accommodation proposed to be made to her as her post-retirement home in Pune.”

On April 13, media reports appeared quoting three individuals Suresh Patil, Ravindra Pathak and some RTI activist Anup Awasthi that more than 260,000 sq ft of defence land, after pulling down two British-era bungalows in Pune, had been  earmarked to build a  retirement home for  Pratibha Patil.

The trio claimed to be founders of some organisation called Justice for Jawans associated with an NGO called GreenThumb.

The triumvirate claimed that the President is entitled to stay after retirement only in a house not measuring more than 4,498 sq ft though the rules are silent on the area of the land.