Kejriwal’s house renovation: Delhi Vigilance issues show cause notices to PWD officials

Karam Prakash

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New Delhi, June 19

Delhi Vigilance Department on Monday issued a show cause notice to the Delhi’s Public Works Department (PWD) in the alleged misuse of public funds in the renovation of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s government accommodation.

The accommodation is situated on 6, Flagstaff Road in Civil Lines.

The said notice has been issued to seven officials of the PWD Department.

In the notice, all seven officers of the PWD have been asked to explain as to ‘why disciplinary action should not initiated against them’ for the lapses and irregularities. The officers of the PWD have been given 15 days time to respond to the notice.

According to the notice, an entire new building was constructed under the guise of additions and alterations of 6, Flagstaff Road, and that the old building which was being used by the Delhi CM had already been demolished.

“It is observed that the officers have violated all Rules of Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) and abused their position under the influence of the Chief Minister, who is the direct beneficiary. Issued tenders and work orders for high volumes amounts on the instructions from the family members of Chief Minister and executed the project after revising the tenders. It is also noticed that they have split the tenders into various components instead of calling one composite tender in order to avoid the scrutiny of the senior officers,” reads the notice issued to PWD officers.

Notably, Delhi LG VK Saxena had in April ordered a probe into the matter following the media reports over the alleged misuse of the public funds over the renovation of the Delhi CM House.

“That original cost of Rs 7.16 crore for addition/alteration escalated to more than four times, i.e. Rs 33.40 crore,” reads the notice.

The notice further stated that they had found several other regularities which included: Ownership of the property was not ascertained by the PWD before embarking upon the construction; the Building committee of PWD, which is the Competent Authority to sanction the building plan as a local body, has not accorded the sanction for building plans until now; and consultant for this project was appointed by calling spot quotations in the name of urgency which was not in line with the Central Public Works Department manuals.

Meanwhile, Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva said, “These notices will go a long way in bringing out the truth of the matter as to on whose instructions PWD carried out renovations and expansion of CM bungalow without any proper tender and budgetary provisions. The day is not far when CM Arvind Kejriwal will himself face an inquiry inthis bungalow scam.”