NEW DELHI: Attacking Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for spending an extravagant amount of money on renovating his official bungalow, the Congress has said that the expenditure incurred in the process was Rs 171 crore and not Rs 45 crore as alleged earlier.
In a press conference, Congress spokesperson Ajay Maken alleged that Rs 126 crore was spent for the expansion of the premises by getting 22 flats located in four adjacent residential complexes vacated and
compensating the inhabitants with 21 flats purchased at that cost.
“There are four residential complexes next to Kejriwal’s official residence and have 22 officers’ flats. Out of those 22, 15 were either gotten vacated or demolished and for the rest seven, it was instructed that they will not be re-allotted,” Maken claimed.
“To compensate for these flats, the Kejriwal government bought 21 Type-5 flats worth Rs 126 crore in the Commonwealth Games Village. So the price of these 21 flats also has to be included in the total
cost spent on Kejriwal’s residence as it was necessitated due to the expansion of his residence,” he added.
Maken also accused the AAP chief of faking a simple lifestyle while spending a fortune on his “palace” at a time when citizens were struggling to survive amid second wave of Covid-19 and were running around for hospital beds and the lack of oxygen.
“The amount spent by the whole cabinet of Sheila Dikshit on their homes in 15 years of its rule is no match to the amount spent by Arvind Kejriwal on the renovation of his palace,” Maken said.The Congress leader also contended that this was an issue of breach of privilege as the government got the Budget passed but made no mention of the renovation of Kejriwal’s residence.
He also alleged that the renovation also disregarded heritage, greenery as well as the Master Plan of Delhi.
Kejriwal has been accused of splurging Rs 45 crore on the renovation of his official residence located in Civil Lines which he has been occupying after he took charge as the Chief Minister of Delhi in 2015.