Sheesh Mahal row erupts in Assembly
A political storm erupted in the Delhi Assembly on Wednesday after Cabinet Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh cited CAG findings to attack the previous Government over the alleged escalation in the cost of a bungalow project, dubbed “Sheesh Mahal”.
The Minister claimed the cost of the residence rose sharply from Rs 7 crore to Rs 58 crore, calling it a “serious breach of public trust” and a symbol of misplaced priorities.
Opening his address, Singh said the issue reflected a deeper gap between promises made to the public and actions taken in office. He alleged that commitments of simplicity were quickly abandoned after assuming power. “Within 20 days, the people of Delhi were misled. The promise of simplicity turned into a symbol of luxury,” he told the House, referring to the allotment of a bungalow at Flagstaff Road soon after the previous Government took office.
The Minister drew a sharp contrast between the construction of the residence and the COVID-19 crisis. “When Delhi was struggling for oxygen and families were searching for hospital beds, one file alone was marked ‘Most Urgent’. That file was for the construction of a palace,” he said.
Citing the CAG report, Singh claimed that no files related to essential services such as water supply, sewer systems, pollution control, or pandemic response were given similar urgency over the past several years. He said funds allocated for COVID relief were not fully utilised, even as expenditure on the bungalow increased. The Minister pointed out that while the Government of India had provided Rs 787.91 crore for COVID relief, a portion of it remained underutilised.
He further emphasized that if this amount had been used for ICU infrastructure, thousands of lives could have been saved. “At a time when one ICU bed cost around Rs 15,000, this amount could have created more than 2,300 ICU beds,” he said.
