The requests from Ministers flooding the Director General of Works (DGW) of the Central Public Works Department are telling — one Minister has insisted on a private architect being kept “in the loop” for finalising his new office design, a Minister of State has demanded a new toilet “on the back side of her seat” in keeping with Vaastu. Records with The Indian Express show these renovation expenses run into lakhs. Respective ministries are expected to dig into their “contingency funds” to pick up the tab — in advance — while the work is done by the CPWD.

Consider these cases:

Udyog Bhawan office of Vilasrao Deshmukh, Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises.

Estimate: Rs 17.54 lakh.

On July 8, a CPWD Assistant Engineer wrote to the Ministry that after the CPWD prepared architectural designs, the PS to the Minister asked for an architect from BHEL to provide “inputs” as well. In a subsequent report, the CPWD noted that despite handing two sets of drawings, “the Ministry however got another prepared by a private architect and approved them”. The following works were listed with a one-month deadline:

• Engineered wood flooring, wall paneling and veneering

• Gypsum board and false ceiling

• Glazed shutters for doors, windows and glazed partitions

• Polished porcelain tiles in toilet, ante room and pantry (Lea, Panaria, Italian made)

• Wall tiles (Sanchis, Spanish made).

When contacted, Deshmukh said: “The office had not been renovated for seven to eight years, it looked very drab with dull furniture. I thought it needed a revamp, especially since the office of the Minister for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises is visited by many foreign delegations and people from the automobile sector. I don’t know the details of what has been finally approved but work is on. And, yes, BHEL is involved in it.”

Udyog Bhawan office of Anand Sharma, Union Minister for Commerce and Industry.

Estimate: Rs 14.78 lakh.

This provided for:

• Engineered wood flooring, glazed shutters for office room

• Gypsum board false ceiling, wall partitions

• Wall painting and polishing

• Granite stone on window sill

• Wall covering with wallpaper of approved make, pattern

Shastri Bhawan office of Jitin Prasada, Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas.

The CPWD “history sheet” mentions an initial outlay of Rs 2.85 lakh for laying a laminated wooden floor in the office. Another letter, sent on July 21 by an Under Secretary in the Ministry, stated that the “office of the Minister of State (P&NG) has now desired that the civil work may be carried out with the following specifications”:

• All fittings of toilets of Kohler make

• Counter of bathroom — Italian marble

• Towel rail and paper holder — Loure make flooring as per sample approved.

• Wall and floor tiles of EP02 NATSQ make

• Paneling of wall and window blinds as discussed.

Contacted, Prasada said: “I got everything done from the CPWD, within the permissible rules and not from outside or from a PSU or anything like that. As far as specifics of the kind of fittings etc that were asked for, I really don’t know the details.”