NEW DELHI: Renovation of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s official residence incurred a complete price of Rs 52.71 crore, based on a “factual report” submitted by the Delhi authorities’s Vigilance Directorate to the lieutenant governor, official sources stated on Thursday. The price of Rs 52.71 crore included Rs 33.49 crore spent on the development of the home and Rs 19.22 crore on a camp workplace for the chief minister, the report stated, citing data of the Public Works Department (PWD).
It is “unfortunate” that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), after failing in all its makes an attempt to malign Kejriwal’s picture during the last 9 years, is now concentrating on the chief minister’s residence, the Aam aadmi Party (AAP) stated in an announcement. “There is nothing in the report to say that any crime was committed. This is the first time that an official residence complex for the chief minister was created in Delhi, comprising the chief minister’s residence, an office secretariat, an auditorium and staff quarters,” it added.
The report stated the then PWD minister had, in March 2020, proposed further lodging preparations — a drawing room, two assembly rooms and a eating room with a capability of 24 folks — and the addition of an higher storey by remodelling the prevailing construction. The PWD, nevertheless, proposed the demolition of the prevailing construction on the bottom that it was an outdated one, inbuilt 1942-43, the report stated.
“It is submitted that the bungalow at 6, Flag Staff Road was constructed in 1942-43 and is a load-bearing construction. In view of the fact that it is a very old construction and has load-bearing walls, it is not recommended for remodelling the existing ground floor or for creating an additional floor,” the report stated, citing a PWD observe.
The PWD had really useful that further building could also be carried out inside the premises and the prevailing bungalow be separated by barricading. Once the development is accomplished, the chief minister and his household might shift to the brand new bungalow and the prevailing bungalow might be demolished, the report stated. “It was, however, on the recommendation of PWD engineers that a new bungalow was constructed on the same premises since the existing structure, built in 1942-43, had outlived its life in 1997 itself. The PWD had argued that the old construction had ‘load-bearing walls’ and was not recommended for remodelling of the existing ground floor or for creating an additional floor,” it added.
The PWD, nevertheless, couldn’t present the file on demolition of constructions adjoining 6, Flagstaff Road, the official residence of the chief minister. Amid allegations of irregularities in renovating the chief minister’s official residence levelled by the BJP and highlighted by the media, LG V Okay Saxena directed Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar in April for securing all of the related recordsdata and submitting a factual report.
The report, signed by Special Secretary (Vigilance) YVVJ Rajasekhar, was submitted to the LG on May 12, a day after the Supreme Court gave govt management over companies issues in Delhi to the AAP authorities. According to the report, the PWD had initially estimated that the development would incur a value of Rs 15-20 crore. The first tender of Rs 8.61 crore was awarded in October 20, 2020 and it didn’t point out the development of a brand new constructing.
Several new proposals for additions and alterations have been subsequently made, which elevated the scope of the work by way of each the built-up space and the plinth space. The further price was necessitated due to superior specs in all of the elements, together with a modular kitchen, a pantry, a wardrobe and a laundry, the report stated.
It additionally identified that the development work was undertaken in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic towards a 2020 order of the finance division that mandated expenditure of an emergency nature solely.
