The Sheesh Mahal bungalow is like a “white elephant” and the Delhi Government is yet to decide about its fate, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said on Monday about the official residence used by Arvind Kejriwal when he was the Delhi Chief Minister. She asserted that it will ensure that the money “wasted” on it by Kejriwal is returned to Delhi’s exchequer.
Kejriwal lived at 6, Flagstaff Road bungalow in Civil Lines area, branded as Sheesh Mahal by the BJP, from 2015 when AAP formed Government in Delhi, till he stepped down from the chief minister’s post in September last year.
Addressing ‘Aadhar Infra Confluence 2025, hosted by Panchjanya, the Chief Minister accused AAP national convener Kejriwal of wasting the hard-earned money of Delhi people on the construction of the bungalow. The bungalow renovated under the chief ministership of Kejriwal became a centre of controversy over allegations of corruption and high-priced interiors and household goods. “It is lying as a white elephant with the Delhi Government and we are thinking what to do with it,” she said. The Delhi CM said it was “painful” to see the wastage of public resources on the Sheesh Mahal and asserted that the entire money spent on it will be returned with interest to the Government exchequer.
The Comptroller and Auditor General of India, in its report, estimated that Rs 33.86 crore was spent on the reconstruction of the bungalow by 2022. However, the BJP leaders claimed the actual cost went up as high as `75-80 crore.
Since assuming office in February this year, the Rekha Gupta-led BJP Government has remained unusually quiet about the fate of the property that it once used as a symbol of AAP’s alleged extravagance. During the election campaign, the BJP leaders from State and Centre frequently cited the multi-crore renovation as an example of the previous Government’s misplaced priorities. However, three months into their term, there is little clarity on whether the Government intends to follow through on its promise to make the property publicly accessible.
Audit report of the renovation at Sheesh Mahal had revealed extravagant expenses, including curtains worth `96 lakh, a mini bar valued at `4.80 lakh and silk carpets priced at `16.27 lakh.
