Delhi to get first state guest house in Dwarka

Delhi is set to build its first state guest house, "Delhi Sadan," in Dwarka at ₹151.97 crore, catering to dignitaries and officials.

The government is set to construct Delhi’s first state guest house in Dwarka’s Sector 19, as the project has been approved by theExpenditure Finance Committee (EFC) chaired by chief minister Rekha Gupta, officials said on Friday.

Officials said the project will take 21 months to complete after acceptance of tenders. (Representative photo)

The proposed project, with an estimated cost of ₹151.97 crore, will cater to dignitaries, government officials and other guests visiting the national capital for official meetings and conferences. Delhi’s tourism department has proposed the guest house, “Delhi Sadan”, on a 3,899.42-square-metre plot in Dwarka, which was allotted by Delhi Development Authority (DDA) in 2020 and handed over to tourism department in February 2021.

The project was among the proposals considered at the eighth meeting of the EFC for 2026-27, held on September 9.

Officials said the project will take 21 months to complete after acceptance of tenders.

An architecture consultancy was appointed by Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation (DTTDC) to design the scheme to incorporate elements of the architectural character of historical Delhi, according to officials.

The project will be implemented in phases, with ₹20 crore earmarked for 2026-27, ₹121.97 crore for 2027-28 and ₹10 crore for 2028-29.

The EFC, however, laid emphasis on ensuring that the facility does not become an under-utilised government asset. The tourism department and DTTDC have been directed to work out a revenue-generation and utilisation model to ensure optimal use of the building and its facilities, according to the meeting minutes.

The committee also pointed that the plan should allow space and facilities to be used for government services and official purposes while generating adequate revenue to support its operation and maintenance.

Further, the department has been asked to prepare an operation and maintenance strategy covering manpower, security, asset management, statutory compliance and operational readiness during the design phase itself.

The EFC has directed that the project adheres to the sanctioned cost and timeline, with a detailed project report, statutory clearances and quality monitoring to be ensured during execution.

Power infra plan cleared for seven Delhi bus depots

In a previous meeting, held on September 2, the EFC approved a ₹300.61 crore project to develop dedicated electrical infrastructure for charging electric buses at seven DTC and cluster depots in the city.

The project will include 66kV power in-feeds, three 66/11kV grid substations and seven 11kV switching stations at cluster Dichaon Kalan, cluster Kair, DTC Dichaon Kalan, DTC Ghumanhera, DTC Kharkhari Nahar, Ghumanhera Cluster-1 and Ghumanhera Cluster-2.

The infrastructure is being developed as a prerequisite for scaling up Delhi’s electric bus fleet to around 14,000 buses by 2028.

The work, to be executed by BSES Rajdhani Power Ltd, is expected to take 18 months after requisite approvals are granted.