CM Gupta inaugrates Jan Seva Sadan at her official residence

The four-bedroom bungalow and an adjoining tin-shed cabin have been converted into office space to host public meetings.

Chief minister Rekha Gupta on Friday inaugurated the Mukhyamantri JanSeva Sadan, a public grievance redressal centre, at her camp office located in Bungalow Number 2, adjacent to her official residence of Bungalow Number 1 on Raj Niwas Marg.

CM Rekha Gupta performs rituals during the inauguration Jan Seva Sadan on Friday. (Vipin Kumar/ Hindustan Times)

The four-bedroom bungalow and an adjoining tin-shed cabin have been converted into office space to host public meetings. One room has been designated as the CM’s office, another for staff, while the remaining two, along with the living room, have been turned into waiting and informal meeting areas with seating arrangements, officials said. A large open space outside will function as a general waiting area.

Gupta and her family will temporarily occupy one room in the camp office while her official residence undergoes renovation. As previously reported by HT, the public works department (PWD) has floated tenders for the ₹60 lakh refurbishment of Bungalow Number 1, including the installation of air conditioners, flood lights, chandeliers, and other fixtures.

Speaking at the launch, Gupta said the JanSeva Sadan would serve as a direct interface between the public and the government, aimed at institutionalising grievance redressal and citizen consultations. “The Mukhyamantri JanSeva Sadan is a bridge of trust between the people and the government. It will offer public hearings, grievance resolution, suggestion boxes, and consultations — all under one roof,” she said.

“Our aim is to ensure no citizen has to run from pillar to post. In previous governments, there was a disconnect between the administration and the people,” she said, reiterating that the “happiness, dignity, and prosperity” of every Delhi resident remained her government’s top priority.

Officials said Gupta had been meeting residents at her Shalimar Bagh residence since assuming office. These interactions will now continue at the new office every Wednesday between 8am and 10am. The JanSeva Sadan will be open to the public from Monday, between 9am and 1pm.

The camp office is part of Plot Number 8 on Raj Niwas Marg, which houses four bungalows. Gupta has been allotted Bungalows 1 and 2. The other two — Numbers 3 and 4 — are currently occupied by deputy speaker Mohan Singh Bisht and social welfare minister Ravinder Indraj Singh, respectively.

Asked about the renovation expenditure, PWD minister Parvesh Verma said it was “basic renovation” and not extravagant. “Four bedrooms can only have four ACs. The rest are for the public areas,” he said. Referring to former CM Arvind Kejriwal’s official residence on Flagstaff Road, Verma added, “In the Sheesh Mahal earlier, the public wasn’t even allowed in.”

The Delhi CM’s official residence has been at the centre of political controversy after the vigilance department launched an inquiry into the previous regime’s spending on its renovation. Gupta and other BJP leaders have said repeatedly that she will not move into 6, Flagstaff Road — dubbed the “Sheesh Mahal” by the BJP — calling it a symbol of excesses under the previous government.

The first two Delhi CMs, Brahm Prakash and Madan Lal Khurana, were allotted 33, Shamnath Marg, but the bungalow fell into disuse after being associated with “bad luck.” Sheila Dikshit, Delhi’s longest-serving CM, chose to stay at her modest AB-17 Mathura Road home. Later, Atishi, even after being named CM, continued to live in her private residence in Kalkaji.