Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal wants air conditioners removed from new house

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister has asked for all air conditioners to be removed from his official four-bedroom bungalow in north Delhi's Civil Lines area where he is expected to shift soon. The demand has left officials of the Public Works Department, which is preparing the bungalow for Mr Kejriwal's shifting, in a tight spot.

"He has asked us to remove all the air conditioners from the house which is a difficult task for us as it would mean almost redesigning the house. We will have to make windows or some alternate arrangements to hide the empty spaces created in the walls.

"We have now requested him to reconsider this demand, but if he remains adamant, we will have to do the needful," said a senior government official.

The house at 6, Flagstaff Road has two lawns, a drawing and dining area and two servant quarters. It is the official residence of the Delhi assembly Speaker and was earlier occupied by former Speaker Prem Singh of Congress.

The Chief Minister had asked us not to spend much time and money on the renovation of the house, not even a new coat of whitewash, saying he doesn't want more changes, a PWD official said.

"We, however, have got the house repainted and cleaned as it was lying unused for more than a year," he added.

The renovation work has almost reached the final stage and the house will be ready in next one or two days.

"If the CM wants to shift in next two or three days, the house is almost ready," the official said.

Sources said that Mr Kejriwal does not even switch on the ACs installed in his office at Delhi Secretariat.

Mr Kejriwal, a lawmaker from the New Delhi constituency, had stayed in Tilak Lane in his previous stint as the Chief Minister. He currently lives in Kaushambi in the Delhi surburb of Ghaziabad, with his parents, wife and two children. The flat he lives in has been allotted to his wife Sunita, an Indian Revenue Service officer, by the central government.