CAG reports to be tabled today; Delhi CM house, Mohalla clinics under lens

CAG reports will highlight alleged issues in the renovation of the Chief Minister's residence and Mohalla clinics under the earlier AAP government

The new BJP government in Delhi will present the delayed Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) reports in the Assembly on Tuesday. These reports will highlight alleged issues in the renovation of the Chief Minister’s residence and Mohalla clinics under the earlier AAP government.

 

Significantly, the Chief Minister’s residence was a major issue in the BJP’s campaign for the Delhi Assembly elections. The saffron party claimed there was corruption and irregularities in rebuilding the bungalow and its fancy interior, naming it ‘Sheeshmahal’ (glass palace).

 

AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal lived in the bungalow while he was Chief Minister from February 2015 to October 2024. He left the house after stepping down when he got bail in the Delhi liquor policy case.

 

 

One of the past CAG reports, accessed by India Today TV, focuses on issues in the construction work to add extra space at the Chief Minister’s residence at 6, Flag Staff Road, and changes to the camp office and staff block.

 

CAG report: Ballooning costs

For the alterations to the Chief Minister’s residence, the Public Works Department (PWD) made an initial cost estimate of Rs 7.91 crore using standard rates for Type VII and VIII bungalows set by the Central Public Works Department. The PWD said the work was urgent.

 

Though the project was awarded at Rs 8.62 crore, which is 13.21 per cent more than the estimate, it ended up costing Rs 33.66 crore, a 342.31 per cent increase over the original estimate.

 

The past audit found that PWD did not share with auditors how it chose three firms for limited bidding for the consultancy work. To justify the cost, PWD used consultancy rates from a year ago and raised them by 50 per cent.

 

During the work, PWD again used limited tendering and picked five contractors based on their finances, skills, and experience with similar projects in VIP areas. The audit noted that only one contractor who got the job had the needed experience, suggesting the choice of bidders was random.

 

While doing the work, PWD increased the built-up area from 1,397 square metres to 1,905 square metres (a 36 per cent rise). They also changed the work to include higher-quality items like artistic, antique, and ornamental features (both civil and electrical/services). To cover the extra costs, PWD revised the estimates four times.

 

The PWD did not try to get new tenders for additional approvals or funding. Instead, the existing contractor handled work worth Rs 25.80 crore (from the 2nd to 5th estimates). The audit found that PWD spent Rs 18.88 crore on superior-quality, artistic, antique, and ornamental items, treated as extra costs.

 

The second project, changes to the staff block and camp office, was awarded at Rs 16.54 crore against an estimated cost of Rs 18.37 crore. This was also done through limited tendering. However, auditors could not find out why limited tendering was used because PWD did not provide the records.

 

The audit also noticed that out of Rs 19.87 crore approved for the staff block and camp office, some money was used for other projects. Moreover, the staff block was not built, and instead, seven servant quarters were made at a different location unrelated to the original plan.

 

CAG report: Mohalla clinics

From 2016 to 2023, the Directorate General Health Service (DGHS) struggled to plan and use the funds given for building Mohalla clinics – AAP’s flagship project. A CAG report seen by India Today TV said it spent only Rs 9.78 crore (28 per cent) of the Rs 35.16 crore budget.

 

The goal was to open 1,000 Mohalla clinics across Delhi by March 31, 2017, but only 523 were set up by March 31, 2023, including 31 evening shift clinics. The audit found that 41 out of 218 Mohalla clinics in four selected districts were closed for 15 days to 23 months because doctors left, resigned, or were on leave.

 

The audit also found that Mohalla clinics lacked basic tools like pulse oximeters, glucometres, X-ray viewers, thermometers, and blood pressure machines. In 74 checked clinics, all 165 essential drugs were not fully available.

 

About 70 per cent of patients visiting mohalla clinics between October 2022 and March 2023 got less than one minute with the doctor, the audit said. Besides, inspections were held in only two per cent of Mohalla clinics in four districts between March 2018 and March 2023.

 

CAG report: Political reactions

On the CAG report being tabled in the Delhi Legislative Assembly, Delhi BJP chief Virendraa Sachdeva said, “CAG report is a list of the black deeds of AAP. We had promised the people of Delhi during the elections that whoever has committed corruption will have to answer.”

 

Speaking on the issue, BJP MP Manoj Tiwari told news agency ANI, “Arvind Kejriwal has been out of power due to corruption, criminal mindset, intention to deceive...The CAG report which Arvind Kejriwal had withheld will be presented in the Delhi Assembly...”

 

Similarly, BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said, “The CAG report will expose the blatant corruption of the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP-da party. It is in the interests of justice that the money of the taxpayers of Delhi which was looted by Arvind Kejriwal for his personal corruption should be returned to the people of Delhi.”

 

On the other hand, former Delhi CM Atishi has accused the BJP of “spreading misconception”, saying she had sent the CAG reports to the Delhi assembly speaker before the election. “As chief minister, I had sent the CAG reports to the speaker of the Delhi assembly before the elections in a sealed envelope. The reports were, in any case, going to be presented in the House during the first session,” said Atishi.