Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal bungalow renovation
The Delhi government spent around ₹44.78 crore to renovate Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s official residence between 2020 and 2022, with the money going on imported marble, plush interiors, electrical fixtures and high-end kitchen appliances.
The details of the expenditure had sparked a furor on Tuesday evening, but the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said the house was in poor condition and remained government property. It also sought a comparison with the amount spent on housing for other leaders, including the residential complex developed for the prime minister as part of the new Central Vista.
But local BJP leaders in Delhi pointed to the inconsistency of a chief minister who has repeatedly denied his commoner status by spending huge public money to renovate his official residence. “During the period of 2020 to 2022, which was the Covid phase, many development works were suspended by the governments due to lack of funds, but the people of Delhi are shocked that during the Covid phase, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has decided to renovate his house and office. ₹44.78 crore was used.” Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said. He called the CM’s residence a fancy “glass house” and demanded that it be opened for public viewing.
A statement by the Delhi AAP opposed this and said. “The house was in a dilapidated condition, having been constructed 80 years ago in 1942. After three serious incidents, including the ceiling of the Chief Minister’s parents’ room collapsing, the ceiling of the Chief Minister’s bedroom collapsing and the office ceiling collapsing. The Public Works Department recommended the construction of a new building,”
AAP defended the construction work saying that its cost was ₹30 crore compared to the cost of other government buildings. “The Prime Minister’s new 36,268 square feet home is estimated at ₹467 crore alone,” it says.
Documents seen by the report, which include work orders, show changes in the Delhi Chief Minister’s residence and office at Civil Lines:
₹11.3 crore spent on interior decoration,
₹6 crore on marble imported from Vietnam, ₹6 crore
on interior design consultancy ₹ 1 crore,
₹ 5.43 crore went on electrical, automatic smart lighting and fire extinguishing system,
₹ 1.1 crore on kitchen appliances including built-in barbecue charcoal grill,
₹ 1 crore on wooden flooring.
The orders related to the refurbishing work of the bungalow issued by the Public Works Department show that
work orders worth ₹7.9 crore were issued on September 1, 2020,
₹1.64 crore on June 8, 2021, ₹9.08 crore
on October 22, 2021, ₹9.08 crore on
December 30, 2021. ₹5.73 crore on 2021,
₹9.34 crore on June 29, 2022.
They also reveal that ₹45.5 lakh was spent behind the scenes and ₹5 crore on “artistic and decorative work”.
Leader of Opposition in Delhi and BJP leader Ramveer Singh Bidhuri said no explanation could explain the expenditure. “Kejriwal had said that I will not take any bungalow, car, security and frills, he got all these facilities after becoming the Chief Minister. He came into politics claiming simplicity. In his first tenure (as CM), he came to Metro to take oath and tried to show that he is a common man, but …”
AAP leader Raghav Chadha told TV channels that the amount should be compared “with similar works elsewhere for the houses of Union ministers and chief ministers”.
Chadha said. “PM Modi’s house is being reconstructed and the project is estimated at ₹500 crore. Prime Minister has spent ₹8,400 crore to buy a new airplane”