Tender for renovating Delhi CM residence cancelled over ‘administrative issues’

The Delhi government on Wednesday cancelled the tender for the renovation of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta’s official residence, citing “administrative issues” without providing further details.

According to documents accessed by The Hindu, the tender, which was floated at an estimated cost of ₹60 lakh, has been cancelled, and this was communicated by the Public Works Department (PWD) to the Delhi government on Monday.

According to a source, the ₹60 lakh tender includes electrical work such as the installation of 14 air conditioners, televisions worth ₹9 lakh and light fittings worth an additional ₹6 lakh.

The proposal was made in July to allocate two bungalows – one as Ms. Gupta’s residence and another for the camp office – on Raj Niwas Marg by the PWD. The CM inaugurated the camp office last week.

‘CM’s Maya Mahal’

Taking a jibe at the government’s decision, AAP Delhi chief Saurabh Bharadwaj said, “Faced with public outrage, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government was forced to cancel the tender for CM Rekha Gupta’s lavish ‘Maya Mahal’ renovation. Just days ago, CM Rekha Gupta got not one, but two bungalows allotted for herself – enough to accommodate two ministers.”

“Tender included installation of 14 air conditioners, 5 LCD TVs, a microwave oven, geysers, LED lights and other luxury items. CM Rekha Gupta must answer. Were these luxury items not essential for her Maya Mahal? And if they were, why did the BJP cancel the tender?” he asked.

After winning from Shalimar Bagh constituency in the February Assembly poll, Ms. Gupta refused to shift to Bungalow 6 at Flagstaff Road, where Aam Aadmi Party national convener Arvind Kejriwal lived during his tenure as CM. The BJP, ahead of the poll, dubbed the official residence of the CM as “Sheeshmahal” after lavish expenditure was made on the renovation.

Public grievance redressal

Meanwhile, Ms. Gupta met with people at the ‘Mukhyamantri Jan Seva Sadan’ on Wednesday at her new camp office in Civil Lines and took effective steps to resolve their grievances.

“Today, I saw a spark of hope in people’s eyes and a sense of trust in their hearts – trust that the government is listening, understanding, and actively working toward solutions,” Ms. Gupta said.

Till now, the Chief Minister had been conducting public hearings at her family residence in Shalimar Bagh. She is expected to move to the bungalow next to the camp office soon.

“True democracy lies in knowing people’s pain, understanding their struggles, and shaping policies based on their real needs. Public hearings are proof that people have faith in democracy and expect constructive change from the government,” the CM said.

Ms. Gupta alleged that past governments lacked communication mechanisms, which often left people helpless in resolving their problems. She said that the ‘Jan Seva Sadan’ would now act as a bridge between the government, governance, and the people, ensuring continuous and empathetic dialogue.