Delhi CM Rekha Gupta’s Bungalow Renovation Tender Scrapped After ‘Maya Mahal’ Row
The Public Works Department (PWD) of the Delhi government has cancelled a tender worth approximately ₹60 lakh for the renovation of the new official bungalow allotted to Chief Minister Rekha Gupta. The decision comes just days after the opposition AAP and Congress slammed the planned expenditure, derisively calling the residence a “Maya Mahal.”
The PWD, in a notice issued on July 7, stated that the tender was being cancelled due to “administrative reasons.” The tender, which was floated on July 1, was for the first phase of refurbishment at Bungalow No 1 on Raj Niwas Marg, the official residence for the Chief Minister.
The planned renovation had sparked a major political controversy last week. The AAP had accused the BJP-led government of splurging public money on luxury at a time when citizens were facing other hardships. The Congress had also joined the attack, calling the planned residence a “Rang Mahal.”
The BJP had defended the move, stating the work was not a “luxury indulgence” but a routine upgrade for the CM’s residence.
According to the now-scrapped tender, the work primarily involved extensive electrical upgrades. The plan included the installation of 24 two-tonne air conditioners, five new televisions, and over 100 high-end lighting fixtures, including three large chandeliers, at a cost of over ₹6 lakh.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, who took charge in February after the BJP’s victory in the assembly polls, was allotted the Type-7 bungalow in June. She had earlier refused to move into the 6, Flagstaff Road residence previously occupied by former CM Arvind Kejriwal, which the BJP had dubbed the ‘Sheesh Mahal’ over its renovation costs.
The abrupt cancellation of the tender is being seen as a direct consequence of the political backlash and public criticism faced by the new government over the perceived extravagance.
