Another Sheesh Mahal? Here's why ₹60 lakh renovation of Delhi CM Rekha Gupta's residence was halted

The Delhi government halted the ₹60 lakh renovation of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta's official residence amid opposition parties' "Maya Mahal" (Palace of Illusions) and "Rang Mahal" (Palace of Colours) jibe at the BJP government.

Why did Delhi government halt renovation of Delhi CM Rekha Gupta's residence?

The Delhi government revealed that the renovation of her residential bungalow on Raj Niwas Marg were halted due to "administrative" reasons. She is expected to shift to the bungalow during the Navratri festival.

The renovation included several new appliances worth lakh of rupees, according to a PWD tender notice issued on June 28.

Among these were 14 air conditioners worth ₹7.7 lakh, five 4K ultra HD LED smart televisions worth ₹9.3 lakh, 4 CCTV cameras worth ₹5.74 lakh, UPS system worth ₹2 lakh, six geysers worth ₹91,000, one Oven Toaster Griller worth ₹85,000, one automatic washing machine worth ₹77,000, one dishwasher worth ₹60,000, one gas stove worth ₹63,000 and one microwave oven worth ₹32,000.

Besides, the PWD tender notice had also mentioned 115 lights, 23 ceiling fans, 10 flood lights and three chandeliers. PWD also allotted a camp office for the Gupta, called Jan Seva Sadan, next to her new residence.

AAP alleged that "Gupta is spending crores on her 'Maya Mahal'while the people of Delhi were facing increasing hardship due to rising private school fees, power cuts, water shortages, inflation, unemployment and growing crime," AAP posted on X.

Congress leader Supriya Shrinate also slammed the Delhi CM for building a "Rang Mahal". "While building a Sheesh Mahal, she is getting a Rang Mahal built for herself! At a time when the people of Delhi are forced to lie down in front of bulldozers when their houses are demolished, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta ji will live in not one but two bungalows combined. It's all fun!" Shrinate said.

This comes months after the BJP fought elections against the AAP by targeting its national convener Arvind Kejriwal over extensive renovations at the former CM's 6, Flagstaff Road residence in north Delhi, which was dubbed "Sheesh Mahal" (Palace of Mirrors) because of the exorbitant amount of money spent on the building. According to a 2022 CAG report, an expenditure of ₹33.86 crore was estimated for renovations at the residence.

After taking over as CM, Gupta said she would not shift to "Sheesh Mahal" as she would not be able to sleep. "I see how the people of Delhi are suffering, and Kejriwal was enjoying himself while staying there. He even did not open his curtains and the voice of the people did not reach his ears," the Delhi CM said while speaking on Rajat Sharma's show 'Aap Ki Adalat' earlier this month.

 

Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa recently defended the renovations at CM Gupta's new residence, saying spending around ₹50 lakh is not lavish. "These people call it ‘Maya Mahal’ and make absurd comparisons with Mughal rulers. First it was Aurangzeb, now it’s Tughlaq, seems they only remember history when it suits them politically,” he said, adding that the new residence was previously used by the lieutenant governor's staffers and is undergoing basic revamp.

 

He then said Kejriwal's Sheesh Mahal is fit only to be converted into a five-star hotel. He alleged that the Flagstaff Road residence had remote-controlled curtains worth ₹8 lakh each and imported toilet seats worth ₹1.25 crore.

India