Renovation at UT Adviser's house in Sector 7 raises eyebrows

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 5

The “extensive” renovation being undertaken by the UT Engineering Department at the Sector 7 residence of UT Adviser Vijay Kumar Dev has brought to light an additional chunk of land that is fenced as part of the VIP’s residence.

Citing security reasons, the land, measuring around 1.5 kanals and located at the rear side of the 6-kanal house, had been integrated with the main premises of the Adviser’s residence. “It is nothing new. As per the official record, the land has been part of the Adviser’s extended residence for decades,” claimed an official.

The only thing is that Dev’s predecessors had kept it as a green belt or had developed it as a kitchen garden. However, now as part of the ambitious renovation of the main residence, the place is also being decked up. The office of the personnel staff of the Adviser will sit in a temporary structure being raised on the additional chunk of land.

Chief Engineer SK Chadha said everything was being done as per the approved norms. It is an old house that required major repairs. He claimed that there was no anomaly.

Sources in the Engineering Department said as part of the renovation plan passed by the Architecture Department, the office of the personnel staff had been shifted from the main residence to the land located at the rear side. A senior official said though tenders for undertaking the work were being floated, the department, citing urgency, had started work to prepare the ground for setting up temporary structure.

AAP leader Gurjusjit said only the necessary renovation should be carried out in government houses and money from the public exchequer should not be splurged.