New Delhi, Aug 30 (IANS) The Supreme Court Wednesday issued show-cause notice to about 1,000 unauthorised occupants of government bungalows and quarters in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, including political leaders, senior bureaucrats and judges.

A bench comprising judges B.N. Agrawal, P.P. Naolekar and Lokeshwar Singh Panta also directed the two states to file affidavits within four weeks giving details of the rules under which unauthorised occupants had been re-allotted or regularised the accommodation and details of those who were allotted the vacant quarters and their entitlement to then.

The bench also issued notice to five additional district judges and one civil judge of Uttar Pradesh.

Anguished over the conduct of such judicial officers, the bench said: "It is the misfortune of the country that for the eviction of judicial officers the state government has to initiate proceedings under the Public Premises Act."

The unauthorised occupants of government quarters include 544 from the police department, 135 legislators and over 300 government officers and 71 others, including journalists and social workers and NGO representatives.

All illegal occupations are in the two state capitals, Patna and Lucknow.

The bench expressed surprise that in some cases family members of wives of the deceased people were allotted government flats and accommodation. The judges wondered: "Is there a rule that wives of government servants and others will be allotted a government bungalow?"

The bench noted that the rules were such that even the judge of the apex court was required to vacate the government accommodation within a month after his retirement, failing which he would be charged exorbitant rent.

The matter was listed for further hearing Nov 7.

The court will take up Thursday the issue of unauthorised occupants in Orissa and Madhya Pradesh.