NEW DELHI: Soon after the swearing in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh along with his wife Gursharan Kaur on Monday shifted to his retirement abode at 3 Motilal Nehru Marg here.
Manmohan came to attend the ceremony at Rashtrapathi Bhavan from the Prime Minister’s official residence at 7 Race Course Road and after the swearing-in ceremony returned to his new Motilal Nehru Marg house.
Modi is likely to shift to the official residence from Gujarat Bhavan on Tuesday.
The Category Type-VIII government bungalow on a prime thoroughfare of New Delhi with seven rooms, including four bedrooms, was given a facelift after its former occupant – ex-Chief Minister of Delhi Sheila Dikshit – was appointed Kerala Governor.
The bungalow was renovated to accommodate the new occupants and Manmohan’s wife Gursharan Kaur personally looked after the work at their new house, which is a few metres away from Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s 10 Janpath residence.
The walls have been repainted and the old furniture polished. The gardens have been pruned and lawns manicured.
Besides the main residential area, the bungalow has office space, staff quarters and garages.
Four surveillance towers have been constructed around the four corners of the house, with scanners and metal detectors placed at the visitors’ entrance right next to the main entrance gate.
The former prime minister will be entitled to SPG cover but security will be toned down as compared to what he used to get while he held office.
Singh and his wife will be entitled to stay here for the remainder of their life.