BENGALURU: The Chief Minister has a six-room, 4,000 sqft official residence on a one-acre plot and a four-room home office on an adjacent half-acre lot in one of the toniest parts of the city. But the Public Works Department (PWD) wants to build a new residence for the CM at an estimated cost of Rs 25 crore.
Reason: There’s no designated home for the Chief Minister.
It has also been decided to house the Chief Minister’s Home Office in the proposed building for administrative convenience.
Some former CMs had to function from two buildings — official residence and Home Office.
These decisions were taken at a PWD meeting, chaired by the Chief Engineer and Secretary of the department, a few months back. Express has a copy of the proceedings. Chikkarayappa, secretary of the department (transferred last week), told Express, “Though the location has not yet been finalised, it has been approved to construct a new designated residence for the Chief Minister.”
The first instalment amount to be released is Rs 8.30 crore. “Once the location is finalised, work will begin,” said a senior official of the department.
When contacted, PWD Minister H C Mahadevappa said, “The proposal of constructing the residence at Carlton House has been dropped, but everyone opines that a designated residence is needed for the Chief Minister.”
The plan to construct a building in the Carlton House premises on Palace Road, said to be heritage property, was shelved after a public outcry.
The proposal for the construction of a designated residence had come up first during the term of B S Yeddyurappa. But recently, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah asked the PWD to revisit the matter, say PWD officials.
Siddaramaiah currently uses Cauvery, located on Kumarakrupa Road, as the official residence, and Krishna, adjacent to it, as Home Office. There is a walkway connecting the two buildings.
The PWD’s Rs 25-cr proposal comes when 135 taluks are declared drought-hit and the Chief Minister has announced austerity measures.