The Central Public Works Department (CPWD) has suspended its three engineers, namely, Additional Director General (Civil) Ashok Kumar Rajdev, Chief Engineer, Pradeep Kumar Parmar and Superintending Engineer, Abhishek Raj for their role in the illegalities involved  in the renovation and construction of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s official residence at 6 Flag Staff Road.

These three engineers then posted with the Public Works Department  of Delhi Government, were instrumental in construction of Kejriwal’s bungalow. Both engineers were belonged from the CPWD and currently posted outside Delhi. Parmar and Rajdev are  currently posted in Guwahati, Abhishek Raj is posted in Kharagpur.

Since the three engineers are currently posted outside Delhi, the Vigilance Department, on the directions of Lieutenant Governor  Vinai Kumar Saxena, had requested the Director General (CPWD) to suspend and initiate major penalty against them.

“The project of Sheesh Mahal (6, Flag Staff Road) CM Residence was conceived contrary to Rules, Norms, GFR Provisions, PWD Manuals, etc. in order to ensure personal benefits to Hon’ble Chief Minister. Albeit, the PWD Engineers were entirely at fault for not adhering to the extant Rule position/ norms,” said sources in Delhi government.

Delhi government’s Vigilance department has pointed out that crores of rupees were spent on superior specifications like extra artistic and ornamental works, superior class stone floorings, superior wooden doors & automatic sliding glass doors, providing/ fixing of Vanity in Toilets, marble stone flooring, decorative interiors, decorative pillars, glass shower enclosure and doors, sheer curtain with fabric curtain track & motor with track curtains, wool carpets, wooden blinds, artistic mouldings, defogger glass in toilets and bathrooms, sliding and folding glass, sauna bath & Jacuzzi.

According to sources, there are seven engineers who found responsible for the irregularities that included violation of rules and massive cost escalation in the name of superior modifications on the instructions of Chief Minister Aervind Kejriwal.  Out of the five other engineers, three have already been suspended on the directions of the Lieutenant Governoer, while recommendation has been made to CPWD to initiate action against one engineer, who has now retired.

According to Delhi government Vigilance Department, these engineers, in collusion with the Minister (PWD) allowed the construction of the new bungalow for the Chief Minister invoking an urgency clause, where no such urgency existed, whilst the entire country was grappling with the Covid-19 pandemic.

On one hand, the Finance Department was issuing orders on fiscal management and reduced expenditure due to outbreak of the pandemic, on the other hand Minister (PWD), in utter disregard of the circumstances, was hurrying the proposal for construction of the new house during the same period in the name of addition / alteration of the old house.

Also, the DoV has put it on record that the demolition of the old building and construction of a new building and the disproportionate increase in expenditure was done on the directions of the Minister (PWD) and “Hon’ble CM Madam” leading to major changes in drawings of interiors submitted by consultant which resulted in deviation in total amount paid & sanctioned amount of work.

Renovation and construction of Kejriwal’s bungalow incurred a total cost of Rs 52.71 crore, according to a “factual report” submitted by the Delhi government’s Vigilance Directorate to the Lieutenant Governor. The cost of Rs 52.71 crore included ?33.49 crore spent on the construction of the house and ?19.22 crore on a camp office for the chief minister, the report said, citing records of the Public Works Department (PWD).

The matter is already being investigated by CBI.