CM still house hunting, govt asks UD Ministry to allot house from its kitty

“We have asked the government to explain the grounds on which it has requested the Centre to allot a house to the CM when it has enough property at its disposal. We have information that two houses were shortlisted for Kejriwal — on Shamnath Marg and Rouse Avenue,” a senior UD Ministry official said.

On Monday, principal secretary, PWD, Arun Baroka had sent a letter to secretary, UD Ministry, asking for two Type-VI flats on consecutive floors. “It would be the same as the duplex flats the CM had rejected. It is difficult to find Type-VI flats on consecutive floors,” the official said.

The Delhi government is learnt to have told the UD Ministry that even former Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit was allotted a house by the ministry and there should be no objection in allotting a house in Lutyens’ Delhi to the present chief minister.
Soon after Kejriwal took over as chief minister, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) had allotted two adjacent Type-VI flats to him on Bhagwan Dass Road. But the CM had turned down the flats following the uproar the move had generated and had requested for a “smaller accommodation”.

The UD Ministry had earlier turned down the Delhi government’s request saying the houses in its kitty, all located in Lutyens’ Delhi, were earmarked for Union ministers, bureaucrats, judiciary, Planning Commission officials and members and staff of Union Public Service Commission.

The flats and houses owned by the Delhi government are mostly located in North Delhi —  Shamnath Marg and  Civil Lines —  while some are located on DDU Marg.