Main and sheer curtains worth ₹96 lakh, kitchen equipment worth ₹39 lakh, a minibar of ₹4.80 lakh and silk carpets worth ₹16.27 lakh – these are the findings of an audit of the official residence of then Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal at 6, Flag Staff Road which escalated the cost of renovation and began the “Sheesh Mahal” controversy ahead of the Delhi elections 2025.
Arvind Kejriwal vacated the house after he stepped down as the Delhi chief minister after his release in liquor policy scam case.
The initial estimates of the renovation of the official residence of the Delhi chief minister was ₹7.91 crore and when it was awarded in 2020, the cost was estimated to be at ₹8.62 crore. Upon completion by the Public Works Department (PWD) in 2022, the total cost of the alleged “Sheesh Mahal” was ₹33.66 crore – four times the actual estimates, Indian Express reported, citing findings by the then Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), Girish Chandra Murmu.
ARVIND KEJRIWAL’S SHEESH MAHAL AUDIT REPORT
The main and sheer curtains worth ₹96 lakh were used in the official residence of the Delhi chief minister when Arvind Kejriwal held the post, kitchen equipment worth ₹39 lakh, the cost of floor tiles which were estimated to be ₹5.5 lakh went up to ₹14 lakh and TV console of ₹20.34 lakh was installed.
The cost of treadmill and gym equipment is ₹18.52 lakh; silk carpets of ₹16.27 lakh and a minibar worth ₹4.80 lakh, the report said. The round dining table cost ₹4.80 lakh; the faux leather cladding was worth ₹5.45 lakh and L-shaped sofa for ₹6.40 lakh.
The CAG report also mentioned the “agreement item” and what they were substituted with “extra costs”. Of the ₹33.66 crore, ₹18.88 crore was spent on “items of superior specification, artistic, antique and ornamental items” included as “extra items”
The items include prefabricated lift and sliding doors costing ₹61 lakh; superior class A grade white Dior pearl marble stone; prefabricated bathtub, prefabricated glass shower enclosure and doors.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, too, has taken a dig at Arvind Kejriwal after inaugurating several key development projects for Delhi on Friday, January 3, and said he could have also built a “Sheesh Mahal” for himself, but chose to prioritise the people by constructing houses for them.
Responding to PM Modi’s “Sheesh Mahal” remark against him, the former Delhi chief minister said, “The talk of Sheesh Mahal does not behove a person who built ₹2,700-crore house for himself, travelling in a ₹8400-crore plane and wearing a ₹10-lakh suit.”
