Delhi govt may rope in hospitality firm to maintain ex-CM Kejriwal's 'Sheesh Mahal'

New Delhi, Jul 16 (PTI) The Delhi government may rope in a private hospitality company to operate and maintain bungalow No 6 on Flagstaff Road — the former official residence of ex-chief minister Arvind Kejriwal — which is to be turned into a guest house for commercial use. Officials said on Thursday that a portion of the camp office within the premises of the bungalow will also be completed for further utilisation. The Public Works Department (PWD) is exploring ways to figure out the operation and maintenance of the bungalow, which is currently lying vacant and unutilised, PWD minister Parvesh Sahib Singh said. "We may approach a reputed hospitality chain to run the guest house and generate revenue for the government," Singh added. Like other state guest houses, the bungalow will be used to house travelling ministers and officials for a fee. He added that the remaining portion of the camp office may be used for official events. A portion of the building inside will be developed to host seminars, dinners and meetings, for which "we currently have to rent out a space in private hotels," Singh added. The final approval to this proposal is yet to be given by higher authorities, the minister said. At present, around 10 staff members are deployed to maintain the bungalow, including daily sweeping, cleaning and operating electrical appliances such as refrigerators and air conditioners. In the past few months, the Delhi government has floated several options for repurposing the ex-CM's residence at Flagstaff Road, which came under intense scrutiny for its alleged lavish renovation under Kejriwal's tenure. In 2022, the Delhi government's vigilance department initiated an inquiry on the direction of former Delhi LG V K Saxena on the case of alleged "irregularities and cost escalation in renovation of the house" by PWD in the revamp of the existing house. The BJP had dubbed it the "Sheesh Mahal" (palace of mirrors) to mock the alleged luxurious and controversial renovations to the bungalow. Currently, the CBI is probing the matter on the complaint of the then Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta, who had complained to Saxena in December 2024 about the alleged irregularities. PTI SSM SSM AMJ AMJ