The Delhi Government has decided to convert the “jinxed” bungalow — 33, Shamnath Marg into the State Guest House. lieutenant-Governor Najeeb Jung has approved a proposal for setting up guest house at 33, Shamnath Marg.
located in city’s prime zone, this bungalow has four bedrooms, a huge drawing-cum-dining room, seven quarters for domestic helps, two garages, one storeroom and a spacious guard room.
33, Shamnath Marg in Civil lines is no ordinary address. It used to be the official residence of Delhi’s Chief Ministers till a decade ago. Then superstition brought about its fall from grace. Many politicians, including two Chief Ministers, lived in the bungalow “only to meet a troubled fate”. None of them could complete their full term in office.
Top sources told The Pioneer that the lieutenant-Governor has approved a proposal to convert 33, Shamnath Marg into a State Guest House/circuit house.
The guest house would be operational by the next month and Delhi Tourism may provide catering and maintenance. The guest house would be equipped with all modern facilities including bars. A team of officials comprising Principal Secretary (PWD) Arun Baroka and Divisional Commissioner (Revenue) Dharampal have recently inspected the bungalow.
The last occupant of the bungalow was 1979 batch IAS officer and Principal Secretary (Power and Finance) Shakti Sinha. He had sought voluntary retirement scheme (VRS) from the Government job as he felt slighted working under his batchmate, DM Spolia, who was then Chief Secretary of Delhi. Sinha had shifted to this bungalow in April 2013 and vacated it in February this year.
For the record, when Sheila Dikshit became the Chief Minister for the first time in 1998, the plush bungalow was offered to her. But she turned it down reportedly because of the ‘inauspicious’ tag, opting to live in a smaller bungalow on Motilal Nehru Marg.
This is not the first that the State Government has decided to convert it as circuit house. A similar plan was prepared in 2002, 2006 and 2012 as there was no taker for this bungalow, which has gained the reputation of being jinxed. In 2011, the Government had received a proposal to convert it into an IAS recreational centre and PWD made a presentation to this effect but the same could not be materialised.
Four politicians have stayed at 33, Shamnath Marg so far, but none of them could complete their full term in office while staying there. In fact, Delhi’s first CM Chaudhury Brahm Prakash, had to quit office before completing his term after he moved into the bungalow in 1952.
Madan lal Khurana, who was allotted this bungalow when he became CM of Delhi in 1993, had to resign in 1996 due the hawala scandal. Before Khurana, Choudhury Mange Ram, an executive councillor, was allotted it as official accommodation, but had to quit before completing his term for “personal reasons”.
Then, when Sahib Singh was offered the bungalow, he found its past to be dubious and decided against moving in. Its other occupant, Deep Chand Bandhu, who was a Minister in the Dikshit Government, died while in office. Bandhu was afflicted with illness and he was advised by his well-wishers not to stay in this bungalow, but he had refused to heed their advice.
With nobody ready to occupy 33, Shamnath Marg, the Delhi Government converted it into an official guest house of sorts, and held Press conferences and Iftar parties here. This is the same bungalow where Congress president Sonia Gandhi had attended Roza Iftar party hosted by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit in 1999.
So, is 33, Shamnath Marg really jinxedIJ Numerologist Pandit Parmanand Pandey thinks so. “The numerals in ‘33, Shamnath Marg’ add up to the number 44, which portends loss of power and fame for its occupant. It may be noted that the number ‘33’ is not in itself, but when coupled with ‘Shamnath Marg’, the numbers are just not right for an ambitious person seeking power and fame.”
Officials say that MlAs and MPs of Delhi have been using the lawn and bungalow for social functions and gatherings, but the same was stopped after the Delhi High Court ruling banning social functions here.