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The report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) regarding the government bungalow of former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has created a storm. According to the report, 342 percent more was spent on the repair and other work of Kejriwal’s official residence at 6 Flagstaff Road when he was the Chief Minister. This report was presented in the Delhi Assembly on Monday, due to which there was a lot of uproar. BJP calls Kejriwal’s official bungalow ‘Sheeshmahal’.
The estimated cost was around Rs 7.91 crore
The CAG report states that the estimated cost of work on the government bungalow was earlier fixed at Rs 7.91 crore, but it had increased to Rs 33.66 crore. It is reported that expensive decorative items worth Rs 18.88 crore have been installed in the bungalow. Additional payment worth crores of rupees was made by making changes in 170 things without taking permission. About Rs 1.87 crore has been spent on other works.
So much expense yet the work is incomplete
It was told in the report that many irregularities were found in the work shown as completed in the Chief Minister’s residence. The work of staff block and camp office has also been incomplete. A temporary structure of the camp office has been built, whereas the complete construction was to be done here, while Rs 19.87 crore was to be used for it. It is reported that the work was stopped midway in 2023, while many works were incomplete.
handed over all the work to a contractor
According to the report, work worth more than Rs 25 crore was given to a single contractor without issuing a new tender for additional work on the bungalow. It is alleged that the Public Works Department (PWD) changed the estimated expenditure 4 times to adjust the expenditure. During this period, work worth Rs 18.88 crore was done without approval. The CAG report has found many irregularities in the work of the bungalow, including ignoring rules, misuse of funds and huge cost overruns.
BJP had raised the issue in Delhi elections
BJP had raised the ‘Sheeshmahal’ issue prominently in the Delhi Assembly elections, due to which Kejriwal’s common man image was damaged. It is alleged that while being the Chief Minister, Kejriwal spent crores of rupees on marble floors, consultancy, electrical fittings, fire fighting system, cupboards and kitchen equipment in 6 installments between September, 2020 and June, 2022. Last year, after the approval of the Home Ministry, CBI and ED started investigating the alleged corruption.
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