Three govt engineers suspended over allegations of cost escalation in Arvind Kejriwal's bungalow renovation
New Delhi: The Central Public Works Department (CPWD) has suspended three engineers—Pradeep Kumar Parmar, Abhishek Raj, and Ashok Kumar Rajdev—over their alleged involvement in illegal activities related to the renovation of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's official residence, media reports said.
These engineers played key roles in the renovation, NDTV reported, citing sources.
Along with four others, they are accused of allowing rule violations and escalating costs under the guise of superior modifications, allegedly following Kejriwal's instructions. All seven have been suspended.
Parmar is currently stationed in Guwahati, Assam, while Raj is based in Kharagpur, West Bengal.
The engineers allegedly colluded with the Delhi Public Works Department (PWD) minister to expedite the construction of a new bungalow for the Chief Minister by invoking an urgency clause, despite no such urgency existing during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the vigilance department, the report said.
Despite the finance department's orders to manage fiscal resources and reduce expenditure due to the pandemic, the PWD minister is said to have pushed for the fast-tracking of the bungalow construction project, under the pretense of adding to or altering the existing house, sources report.
The vigilance department has officially stated that the demolition of the old building, the construction of a new one, and the "disproportionate increase in expenditure" were carried out under the directions of the PWD Minister, the report said.
These actions resulted in significant changes to the interior designs submitted by the consultant, causing deviations between the sanctioned and actual costs, sources said.
The vigilance department also highlighted that crores of rupees were spent on high-end specifications, such as artistic and ornamental works, superior stone flooring, wooden doors, and automatic sliding glass doors.
The matter is currently under investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
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