NEW DELHI: Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal may finally shift to a type-VI flat (3BHK plus study room) in a government residential complex on Tilak Lane in central Delhi, close to the Patiala House courts complex. Sources said the directorate of estates in Union urban development ministry has allotted a ground floor flat (C-II/23) to Kejriwal.
The 1,650-sq-feet corner flat is a C-II category accommodation usually allotted to officials of joint secretary rank and above. Although of the same category, the two duplex apartments on Bhagwan Dass Lane earlier readied for the CM by Delhi Development Authority (DDA) were bigger, having being built by the authority for its own officers.
TOI has learned that only two flats, C-II/23 and C-II/62, are vacant in the officers' colony on Tilak Lane. Of these, sources said the ground floor one has been offered to Kejriwal because it has a small courtyard and a lawn. The other flat is on the first floor. "The ground floor flat is fit for him since he will get a number of visitors and the flat can be accessed from the lawn," a source said. Kejriwal and his immediate neighbour will share a garage for vehicles.
TOI visited the C-II/23 flat and found several CPWD workers there, who claimed they had no clue whether the flat was being allotted or that any furnishing work was to be undertaken soon. But some local youth said the flat was being visited by many people in the past two days. Inquiries were also being made about all residents in the locality.
UD ministry sources said the allotment had been made as a "special case" by minister Kamal Nath since the responsibility of getting an accommodation for the Delhi CM —or any of his ministers —lies with the state government.
They added that allotment of a bungalow to former CM Sheila Dikshit was also a special case and had to be cleared by the cabinet committee on accommodation. The state public works department had requested for two similar flats for Kejriwal, one for his residence and the other for his camp office.
After a controversy erupted over Delhi government accepting two big duplex apartments on Bhagwan Dass Road for the CM, who had earlier announced that he would not move into a bungalow, Kejriwal had cancelled the allotments. Kejriwal at present stays with his family in an Indian Revenue Service flat allotted to his wife in Kaushambi, Ghaziabad.
Interestingly, his new flat is just a few hundred metres from his predecessor Sheila Dikshit's former official house on Mathura Road.
Source - Times of India
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