A high-voltage political slugfest has begun in Delhi after reports of CM Arvind Kejriwal spending Rs 45 Cr on the ‘beautification’ of his official residence come to the fore.
Now, political parties are taking on the Aam Aadi Party (AAP) chief over the alleged lavish changes at Chief Minister’s bungalow. Joining the bandwagon, Congress has slammed Kejriwal questioning his right to remain the CM of the national capital.
The new report termed “Operation Sheeshmahal” claims a whooping Rs 44.78 crore of taxpayers’ money was spent on the renovation of the CM’s official bungalow, raising questions on the Aam Aadmi Party’s austerity talks.
According to the documents, the total expenditure included
– ₹11.30 crore on interior decoration
– ₹6.02 crore on stone and marble flooring
– ₹1 crore on interior consultancy
– ₹2.58 crore on electrical fittings and appliances
– ₹2.85 crore on fire fighting system
– ₹1.41 crore on wardrobe and accessories fitting
– ₹1.1 crore on kitchen appliances.
– ₹8.11 crore out of the sanctioned amount of ₹9.99 crore was spent on the camp office of the chief minister at his official residence
The documents accessed by various sources show that the curtains at Arvind Kejriwal’s residence cost appropriately Rs 5-8 lakh per piece.
The documents showed that 23 curtains with a cost of Rs 97 lakhs were cleared for Delhi CM and AAP national convenor’s residence.
The marble used in the renovation of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s residence was imported from Vietnam at a cost of Rs 3 crores.
Total expenditure that was made on the renovation of two kitchens at Arvind Kejriwal’s official residence was approximately Rs 63 lakhs.
Six carpets were bought for Rs 19,89,000 to be used at CM Kejriwal’s official residence.
And so on…
The amount was spent in six trenches between September 9, 2020 to June, 2022, the documents showed.
Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said in a statement that the amount of ₹45 crore was spent on the “beautification” of Kejriwal’s bungalow at a time when Delhi was battling COVID-19.
Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly Ramvir Singh Bidhuri alleged that the “simplicity and honesty” of Kejriwal has been “exposed” and he should immediately resign.
The details of the spends created a buzz on Tuesday evening, but the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said that the house was in bad shape and that it remained government property. It also sought to compare the amount spent with that spent on housing for other leaders, including the residential complex being developed for the Prime Minister as part of the new Central Vista.
