Tender for renovation of Delhi CM Rekha Gupta’s residence cancelled citing administrative reasons

Rekha Gupta

A Rs 60 lakh tender for renovation work at Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta’s official residence has been cancelled due to "administrative reasons", according to the city's Public Works Department (PWD).

The PWD formally informed the Delhi government of the cancellation on Monday, just three days after the scheduled tender opening date.

The tender reportedly included electrical upgrades, the installation of 14 air conditioners, televisions worth Rs 9 lakh, and light fittings valued at an additional Rs 6 lakh.

Rekha Gupta waited nearly 100 days before being allotted a bungalow as her official residence. The official allotment was made in early June, with adjacent properties on Raj Niwas Marg in Delhi’s Civil Lines area assigned to Gupta for the duration of her term.

Earlier, Gupta opted not to move into the Civil Lines bungalow previously occupied by former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, which had become the target of BJP criticism. The party had labelled the former CM's residence a ‘sheeshmahal’, accusing Kejriwal of spending crores in taxpayer money on lavish refurbishments.

A Central Public Works Department (CPWD) report in October 2024 flagged extravagant renovations and the use of high-end appliances. Following this, the Union government ordered an investigation into alleged irregularities and tasked the CPWD with conducting a detailed inquiry.

Mr Kejriwal, then Chief Minister, had dismissed the allegations as politically motivated, accusing the BJP of launching personal attacks to deflect attention from its own performance in Delhi.