The mystery of the keys to the Delhi CM's bungalow

The Public Works Department (PWD) has sent a letter to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief and former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, requesting that he return the keys to the chief minister’s residence at 6 Flagstaff Road.

Although Kejriwal vacated the CM's residence on 4 October and relocated to another bungalow in Lutyens' Delhi, the keys to the Flagstaff Road house are yet to be handed back to the PWD, it is reported.

In a communication addressed to the special secretary to the Chief Minister's Office, Pravesh Ranjan Jha, the PWD expressed concern that the keys, which had initially been handed over to the department, were later taken back.

This 'delay' in receiving the keys again has reportedly hindered routine procedures and is impacting the PWD's allotment of the residence to the current chief minister, Atishi.

Atishi, who is the AAP’s legislator from Kalkaji, was officially allocated her current place at AB-17 Mathura Road when she first became a minister in the Delhi government in March 2023.

The PWD's letter, dated Sunday, 6 October, noted that despite officials personally visiting the CM's residence, the keys had still not been returned.

On Monday, 7 October, chief minister Atishi was seen visiting the residence briefly, as the process of shifting to her new official address to 6 Flagstaff Road began. She also held an introductory meeting there with members of her staff.

Meanwhile, the PWD reiterated its request for the keys, in response to a communication from the Chief Minister’s Office on 5 October, which had asked for the property to be formally allotted to Atishi.

The department has cited ongoing vigilance cases regarding the construction and renovation of the residence, stating that it was “necessary” to inspect the property and take stock of its inventory in detail before reassigning the house.

In its letter, the PWD urged the immediate return of the keys to Shri Karam Singh Yadav of the department, so that the process of inspection and inventory assessment could be completed.

It added that an inquiry regarding the expenditure on the renovation of the residence in 2020–21 is ongoing.

The department emphasised that this handover of keys was essential to ensure the timely allotment of the residence to Atishi, enabling her to move in without unnecessary delay.

Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva took the opportunity to criticise Kejriwal, accusing him of corruption and claiming that the residence, referred to as the ‘Sheesh Mahal’, had not been fully vacated. He suggested that Kejriwal was delaying the handover of the property.

In response, the AAP asserted that due process had been followed.

The general administration department has issued a no-dues certificate indicating that Kejriwal had cleared all outstanding water, electricity and telephone bills associated with the residence.

According to the AAP, a ‘vacation report’ was also issued by the PWD after an inspection of the house and its inventory.

This report, signed by a junior engineer from the PWD and the section officer from the chief minister's camp office, was apparently issued on Saturday, 5 October, and then the keys handed over to Atishi.

The AAP claimed in a statement that the keys of the bungalow were handed over to Atishi by the department on Sunday and alleged that the BJP was "shamelessly misleading" the public over a "non-issue".

Meanwhile, principal secretary (PWD) A. Anbarasu has stated that since the PWD's letter had not been complied with, the necessary allotment letter and authorisation slip for Atishi had yet to be issued.

However, the BJP has continued its attack on AAP, accusing the party of trying to conceal irregularities within the residence by rushing the transfer to Atishi.

Last week, Kejriwal and Manoj Sisodia — both recently out on bail in the various cases brought against them by central agencies — moved to new homes in Lutyens’ Delhi assigned to AAP Rajya Sabha members.

Kejriwal on 4 October moved into 5 Feroz Shah Road, a central government property allotted to AAP MP Ashok Mittal.

The Flagstaff Road residence he vacated has been mired in controversy following the BJP’s accusations that the former chief minister spent Rs 45 crore renovating it.

Sisodia moved into AAP MP Harbhajan Singh’s residence at 32 Rajendra Prasad Road.