The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India is conducting what it said is a “special audit” into the alleged “administrative and financial” irregularities during the renovation of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s official residence ‘Sheesh Mahal’ at 6, Flag Staff Road Civil Lines, Delhi.
According to sources in the Lieutenant Governor’s office, the CAG’s special audit move follows a recommendation by the Ministry of Home Affairs after having received a letter on May 24, 2023, from the Lieutenant Governor’s Secretariat, pointing out the gross financial irregularities, prima facie, was reported in the reconstruction of Kejriwal’s official residence.
In his letter, the Lieutenant Governor underlined that these violations or “extravagant expenditure” took place at the behest of “Hon’ble CM Madam”, in an apparent reference to Kejriwal’s wife, during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic. LG VK Saxena, citing a report of the Delhi Chief Secretary, said prima facie full-fledged construction/reconstruction of a new building was done by the PWD department in the name of renovation.
Also, the report alleged the PWD did not ascertain the ownership of the property before commencing the construction. The mandatory and pre-required approvals were also not obtained from the ‘Building Committee’ of the PWD department till now.
The initial cost for construction work, which was to be Rs 15-20 crore, inflated from time to time and as per the report, a total expenditure of approximately Rs 53 crore has been spent to date, which is more than three times the initial estimate. Also, accusations were levelled against Kejriwal that he violated norms while felling or transplanting around ten trees per the Delhi Preservation of Trees Act.
As per the report “Operation Sheeshmahal” by Times Now which was published on April 25., Kejriwal has misused crores of taxpayers’ money. The Delhi Government spent about Rs 5-8 lakh per piece on curtains for the CM’s residence.
Furthermore, the report revealed that a whopping Rs 97 lakhs were cleared for the 23 curtains installed during the renovation of the residence for the AAP leader. Furthermore, the report revealed that taxpayers’ money was spent on procuring six carpets for a staggering sum of about Rs 19.89 lakhs.
The taxpayers’ money was used to import the lavish ‘Deor Pearl Marble’ from Vietnam at a cost of about Rs 3 crores for renovating Arvind Kejriwal’s residence. Furthermore, it was reported that about Rs 21.60 lakhs was spent on mere chemicals used to fix the marble.
The report revealed that Rs 40 lakhs were spent to install six almirahs at the AAP leader’s residence. Furthermore, the official residence is equipped with two kitchens renovated at a cost of about Rs 63 lakhs.
The BJP’s Delhi Unit tweeted stating “Corrupt Kejriwal spent crores of public money to get curtains, foreign marbles, wardrobes made in his palace.”
On April 26, the BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra said in a press conference “The headlines published in the newspapers today are not just the story of a Maharaj and his palace’s renovation but it is the story of the Maharaj’s mindset… I will loot everything, I will not leave anything… This is the story of the transformation in that Maharaj.”
