Delhi CM residence renovation bill is at least ₹33 crore: CAG indicates massive overspending

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) estimates that over ₹33 crore was spent on renovating the Delhi chief minister's residence, significantly higher than the initial estimate of ₹7.9 crore.

As part of the "renovation" that began in 2020, several high-end appliances were purchased, including a ₹3.2 lakh Samsung refrigerator, a ₹1.8 lakh microwave, ₹6.5 lakh worth of steam ovens, and a ₹1.9 lakh washing machine.

Additionally, ₹13 lakh was spent on ten beds and sofas, while an 88-inch 8K OLED LG TV was bought for ₹28.9 lakh.

At a cost of ₹19.5 lakh, the Public Works Department (PWD) also built a spa, sauna, and jacuzzi. The development of seven servant quarters cost an additional ₹19.8 crore.

The Delhi Chief Minister's "additions/alterations at the residence" are included in the CAG report through March 2022.

According to Delhi government sources, the bungalow's construction went on at least until the middle of 2023, which implies that the project's overall cost may be far more than the sum that the federal auditor examined.

Both the BJP and the Congress have attacked the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader for wasting public funds on "his Sheesh Mahal" during the Covid pandemic.

The renovation of the bungalow where Arvind Kejriwal resided until Sep 2024 has emerged as a key issue in the Delhi election campaign.

In the past three days, PM Narendra Modi has brought up the matter twice. He emphasized on Jan 5 that Kejriwal had "Sheesh Mahal" built during the pandemic.

Additionally, according to sources, the CAG said in its report that without documentary proof, it was unable to determine the expenditure's validity.

The "feasibility study for remodelling of the bungalow" was also not carried out by the PWD, it claimed. The "partial" records that were made accessible were used for the audit.

“The matter of unavailability of records was taken up with the executive engineer... despite several reminders, complete records were not made available," the CAG said in its report, which has been submitted to the lieutenant governor.

Additionally, the audit discovered irregularities in the way PWD made four revisions to its early estimates.

"It did not explore the possibility of tendering for additional works amounting to ₹25.8 crore, (out of which) ₹18 crore was incurred in the execution of items of superior specification, artistic, antique, and ornamental items that were executed by PWD as extra items," according to the CAG report.

The investigation raised concerns about the ₹19.8 crore that was supposed to be utilized for the construction of a staff block but was instead used to construct seven servant quarters at a different location unrelated to the original project.

Eight bedrooms, three conference rooms, two drawing rooms, two kitchens, 12 restrooms, and a dining hall are all part of the 21,000-square-foot built-up area of the house on 6 Flagstaff Road.

24 sofa sets, 76 tables, 45 seats, eight beds, and five recliner sofas (each costing ₹80,955, for a total of approximately ₹4 lakh) are all part of the three-story building.

Around 75 Bose ceiling speakers and 50 indoor air conditioners have been installed in locations such as the kitchen, restrooms, laundry room, gym, and other facilities, according to the PWD's inventory as of Oct 11, 2024.

Additionally, the CAG has questioned PWD's choice of three consulting firms to carry out the refurbishment project.

In addition to pointing out that the choice of contractors was also random, the agency claimed that it did not offer the "basis" for choosing these companies.

"During the execution of work, PWD again resorted to restricted tendering and selected five contractors for bidding on their financial status, resourcefulness, and experience in executing similar works in VIP areas," said CAG.