After the leak of the Comptroller of Auditor General of India (CAG) report on 6 Flag Staff Road and Addition and Alteration in the camp office and Staff Block , Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva launched a scathing attack on Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor and former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, accusing him of indulging in extravagant and questionable spending on the renovation of his official residence, infamously known as ‘Sheesh CMahal’.
iting the CAG report, Sachdeva alleged that the renovation costs had exceeded Rs 33.66 crore by 2022, with the total expenditure remaining unclear. Various irregularities at all stages of the project have been flagged in the CAG report, which is still to be tabled in the Delhi assembly and is hence not public yet. Addressing a press conference, Sachdeva alleged that Kejriwal, in collusion with the Public Works Department (PWD), engaged in questionable practices to renovate the bungalow.
"The expenditure of Rs 33.66 crore is just a figure; the actual cost could be much higher when missing inventory and additional expenditures from 2023 and 2024 are included," he claimed. This work was awarded at tendered cost of Rs 8.62 crore which was 13.21 per cent above the estimated cost of Rs 7.61 crore. The work was completed in April 2022 and final payment of Rs 33.66 crore was made to the contractor. This work awarded at 13.21 per cent above the estimated cost was finally completed at 342.31 per cent above the estimated cost and 290.49 per cent above the tendered amount," the CAG report says.
Sachdeva questioned the urgency and rationale behind the extensive renovations, saying, "What was the emergency that you were so anxious to enter this palace...Later it was said that some portion of this structure is such that it can be removed anytime, it is temporary, sometimes servant quarters are added to it, sometimes they are reduced, that is, the CAG report has a detailed report about the
black deeds of Arvind Kejriwal and what his evil mind was thinking at that time," he said.