Priyanka Gandhi seeks permission for 20-day stay at her summer home near Shimla

Tribune News Service

Shimla, August 6

AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has sought permission from the district administration to permit her family and some friends to spend about 20 days at her cottage at Chharabra, near here from August 10.

Priyanka who has made her dream house, a three-storey English style cottage at Chharabra, about 20 km from here has sought permission to arrive here on August 10 and leave on August 31.

The list of 10 persons for whom permission has been sought includes her family and friends.

Priyanka used to visit Chharabra every year in the summer, often accompanied by her mother AICC president Sonia Gandhi. However, owing to Covid outbreak this year, she was unable to visit her summer home, here. She has recently moved to Gurugram after vacating her Delhi home.

Sources confirm that Priyanka has sent the request to the Deputy Commissioner, assuring that all the persons will be equipped with a Covid negative report and will adhere to the 14-day home quarantine norm religiously. She had moved into her house last year in September after performing puja during the Navratras.

Priyanka bought a 4.25-bigha chunk of land at Mashobra in 2007. The then Congress government had accorded special relaxation to Priyanka (a non-Himachali) under the Tenancy and Land Reform Act, 1972, to purchase land in the state. She later bought additional land, adjacent to her property.

Permission was also sought from the President’s secretariat as the site fell in close vicinity of the Rashtrapati Niwas “Retreat”, the summer residence of the President of India and the Kalyani helipad used by him. The house, which was almost nearing completion, was completely dismantled in April 2011. The work on it started again after making some changes to the construction plan.

The three-storey house, which is a blend of English and hill architecture has grey slate roofs and is located amidst serene surroundings with thick deodar forests in the vicinity. Sonia Gandhi has frequently been coming here as Chharabra and Mashobra are apparently quite like her place, back home in Italy.

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