The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday issued a notice to the Punjab government over a petition filed by Union Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu, seeking to quash an order requiring him to pay ₹1,82,98,924 as rent and penal rent for government accommodation allotted to him in Ludhiana on security grounds. The rent covers the period from January 1, 2016, to May 19, 2024. Bittu’s petition, placed before Justice Harsimran Singh Sethi’s Bench, argued that the accommodation was provided due to a high-security threat perception following his grandfather’s assassination. His counsel, Premjit Singh Hundal and Gursahib Singh Hundal, contended that demanding rent for a security-based allotment was unjustified. According to the petition, Bittu had applied for a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Punjab government in May 2024, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. However, the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation’s town planner issued an order requiring him to pay ₹1,82,98,294 as rent and penal rent before the NOC could be granted. Bittu stated that he paid the amount under protest, following which the NOC was issued. His counsel argued that penal rent could not be imposed when the accommodation was allotted for security reasons. They further contended that the government had no jurisdiction to demand rent for a house that was provided as part of its own security arrangement for Bittu and his family. Justice Sethi fixed May 5 as the next date of hearing.
