Government plans to rope in hotel chains to maintain Arvind Kejriwal’s former Civil Lines bungalow


4 min readNew DelhiJul 16, 2026 09:26 PM IST

Moving forward with its plan to develop former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s official residence at 6, Flagstaff Road, as a state guest house-cum-cultural centre, the Delhi Government has asked the Public Works Department (PWD) to explore plans to rope in top hotel chains to operate and maintain the property, which the BJP had dubbed as ‘Sheesh Mahal’.

Officials said the PWD has also been asked to complete the unfinished camp office located next to the bungalow located in Civil Lines.

“The previous AAP government was building a two-storey building as a camp office. The broad structure has been constructed but after a Vigilance inquiry was initiated into the alleged irregularities in relation to the renovation of the former CM’s residence, the work remained incomplete,” a senior official said.

“Interior works like painting and electrical works, among others, are pending… The PWD now has been asked to complete the work so that it can be used to host people and hold conferences or meetings as part of the state guest house plan,” the official added.

PWD Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh said that instead of handing over the bungalow to any corporation, the government is exploring options to partner with top hotel and hospitality chains that can professionally manage and run the property.

Maintaining that project will help the government generate revenue, he said, “The PWD has been directed to come up with a plan. Discussions are going on to rope in professional players, so that it can be developed and managed professionally.”

“The main residence (bungalow) does not require that much work but the other one (camp office) requires interior work… Also, there are plans to build a conference room, a boarding facility, a restaurant or a cafeteria where visitors from here and abroad can stay and have food… they can also participate in events…”

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The final approval to this proposal is yet to be given by higher authorities, the minister said.

Like other state guest houses, the bungalow will be used to house travelling ministers and officials for a fee. According to officials, while international delegates will visit occasionally, the rest of the time, the bungalow could be used as a bed and breakfast facility.

They added that once developed as a state guest house-cum-cultural centre, the bungalow will have rooms for guests, a conference hall, meeting spaces, and an auditorium in which cultural and artistic programmes, exhibitions and official ceremonies can be held.

The incomplete camp office, meanwhile, is coming up on a plot measuring 1,500 square yard. According to information shared by the government earlier in the Delhi Assembly, about Rs 25 crore has been spent on it before the work was stopped. The camp office was allegedly estimated to cost around Rs 60 crore, said an official.

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Kejriwal and his family had lived in the Civil Lines bungalow for almost a decade since 2015.

In 2022, the Delhi Vigilance department had initiated an inquiry 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’ to mock the alleged luxurious and controversial renovations to the bungalow. During the 2025 election campaign, it had displayed miniature replicas of the bungalow at its rallies and public meetings.

The renovation of the premises led to its built-up area increasing by more than a third – from 1,397 sq m to 1,905 sq m – and the PWD had revised its preliminary estimates of the cost of renovation four times.

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A report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) put the cost of the renovation at Rs 33.66 crore, more than 340% higher than estimated. Of this, Rs 18.88 crore was spent on “superior specifications, artistic, antique and ornamental” items, the CAG had 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.





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