NEW DELHI: A Rs 59.4-lakh tender for renovation work at the official residence of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has been cancelled due to “administrative reasons”, the Public Works Department informed the government on Monday. The notification came just three days after the scheduled opening of the bids.
The tender reportedly included extensive electrical work, with plans to install 14 air conditioners worth over Rs 7.7 lakh, light fittings worth Rs 6 lakh, TVs valued at Rs 9 lakh, six geysers costing Rs 92,000 and a fully automatic 10-kg washing machine priced at Rs 77,750.
The ceilings were to feature chandeliers valued at over Rs 90,000, while ceiling fans, each priced at Rs 8,000, would have brought the total cost for fans alone to Rs 1.81 lakh.
The kitchen, too, was designed for high-end functionality, featuring a wall-mounted 90-cm electric chimney with auto-clean features, touch control, and a motion sensor, priced at Rs 27,309. A five-burner gas hob with auto-ignition was estimated at over Rs 63,000. Plans also included a 20-litre microwave worth Rs 32,579 and a 71-litre oven-toaster-grill costing Rs 85,828.
Gupta was allotted a government bungalow nearly 100 days after taking office. The residence, located on Raj Niwas Marg in Civil Lines, was allocated to her in early June, along with adjoining properties for use during her tenure.
She had previously declined to move into the bungalow formerly occupied by Arvind Kejriwal, also located in the Civil Lines area. That property had become central to the BJP’s criticism of the AAP leader, who was accused of spending crores of taxpayers’ money on extravagant renovations, leading the party to dub the house a “Sheesh Mahal”.
The sprawling residence, which reportedly expanded to over 40,000 square yards after the merger of four government plots, served as Kejriwal’s official home from 2015 until he stepped down in October 2024.
After taking office, Gupta had announced plans to convert the “Sheesh Mahal” into a public museum.