The Supreme Court has modified a Nadia district administration communication requiring Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra to give three to four days’ advance notice before seeking accommodation at the Krishnanagar Circuit House in West Bengal. The Court said she need only inform the administration one day before her visit, with accommodation to be provided in accordance with the applicable protocol.
A Bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi was hearing Moitra’s plea concerning her alleged late-night eviction from the Circuit House on August 14, 2026. She alleged that she was asked to leave despite having obtained accommodation.
The district administration subsequently issued a communication dated September 1, 2026, requiring MPs and MLAs to provide three to four days’ advance notice for government guest house and circuit house arrangements.
Senior Advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, appearing for Moitra, argued that she had routinely obtained accommodation with only a few hours’ notice for nearly a decade.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta disputed the allegation of eviction, submitting that the Circuit House was undergoing maintenance and that alternative government accommodation had been offered.
The Bench emphasised the need for a uniform procedure to prevent administrative disputes over accommodation.
“These are not issues which, in fact, should come to the Court. Probably what we require is only a small SOP,” Chief Justice Surya Kant observed, suggesting a standard operating procedure for eligible public representatives.
Justice Joymalya Bagchi questioned the circumstances surrounding the September communication. Mehta subsequently offered to withdraw it and replace it with a general procedure applicable to all eligible representatives.
The Chief Justice stressed that accommodation arrangements should consider both availability and the applicable order of precedence under protocol.
The Supreme Court modified the September 1 communication, providing that Moitra would inform the district administration one day before her proposed visit. Necessary accommodation may then be provided in accordance with the applicable protocol.
On Moitra’s separate grievance concerning 18 stalled Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) projects, the Court requested the district administration to examine her representations and take appropriate steps.
It clarified that she could approach the jurisdictional High Court if she remained aggrieved.
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