New Delhi: The Congress on Sunday levelled fresh corruption charges against Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal over the renovation of the CM’s residence and said it will urge the Lieutenant Governor to immediately stop the construction at the site and probe violation of heritage protection provisions in the Master Plan.
“I am going to write a letter to Lt Guv today. I will urge the LG to immediately stop construction at the site and probe the violations of the heritage protection provisions of the Delhi Master Plan,” former union minister and Delhi Congress leader Ajay Maken said. The Delhi Congress has been targeting Kejriwal over Rs 45 crore renovation of the chief minister’s official residence over the past weeks saying they claimed to be common man but were indulging in corruption.
According to Maken, the Delhi government actually spent Rs 171 crore for the renovation of the chief minister’s residence area and not just Rs 45 crore as reported. “There are five properties around the chief minister’s residence 6, Flag Staff Road, Civil Lines, where senior officials had been given accommodation. Together they housed around 22 flats. Now, 15 out of these 22 flats have been vacated and no fresh allotment will happen. They will also be raised to expand the chief minister’s residence area,” said Maken.
“To house the officers who lost their accommodation around the chief minister’s house, the government has bought 21 new flats in the Commonwealth Games Village area at a cost of Rs 131 crore,” he said. The Congress leader further charged that the Delhi government took all this money from the Consolidated Fund of India and did not mention the same in the demands for grants, which have to be approved by the Delhi assembly.
“Normally, the central government or any state government shows such extra expenditure in the demands for grants to ensure transparency. But the Kejriwal government did not do it,” said Maken. “The AAP is claiming that the renovation at the chief minister’s residence has been done with due permission from the local body. But the Delhi government misled the people by misusing a provision. The North Delhi Municipal Corporation can exempt the Public Works Department from permissions in case of public interest projects like schools or hospitals. But the Delhi government used this provision for the renovation of the chief minister’s residence in violation of the provisions. This must be probed,” he said.
The former Delhi unity chief further alleged that the Delhi government tinkered with the Master Plan and the heritage protection provisions therein. “They not only doubled the construction to 20,000 sq ft area, they also pulled down the old single-storey house to construct a three-floor building with a basement as well. They also cut 28 full-grown trees in the area. The government houses in the Civil Lines area are even older than the Lutyens Bungalow Zone and considered to be heritage buildings,” said Maken.
“There seems to be some collusion behind the renovation among the NDMC and PWD officials. I will urge the L-G to probe that also,” he said. The Congress leader questioned the anti-corruption plank of the AAP. “They are no Aam Aadmi. They came to power by levelling false charges against our former CM Sheila Dikshit but none of them have been proven. Instead, the AAP leaders are now taking security, living in big bungalows, and indulging in corruption. There is no sight of the Lokpal in Delhi,” said Maken.
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