NEW DELHI: Despite repeated assertions of successive Prime Ministers about adopting austerity measures in the county, the government has ended up spending a massive Rs 3 crore on just renovating the PM House in the past eight years

Yet, the search for anew official residence for the Prime Minister is not yet over with various agencies like the CPWD, Intelligence bureau and the ministry for urban development still groping in the dark.

According to figures now available, Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi alone spent as much as RS 1,28 crore on renovation of the PMs house during his five years of stewardship.

In the first year of his reign, Rajiv Gandhi spent Rs 51.07 lakh, followed by Rs 26.33 lakh in 1986-87, RS 26.95 lakh in 198788 Rs 25.79 lakh in 1988-89,

Not to lag behind, even Prime Ministers of socialist’s credentials like Chandra Shekhar and V.P Singh ended up spending a staggering Rs 81 lakh during their rule, according to official figures. While as much as Rs 70.23 crore were spent during 1990-91, Rs 11.38 lakh were spent the following year.

During 1984-85, the last year of late Indira Gandhi’s rule, the government incurred an expenditure of Rs 48,16 lakh on renovating the PM house, then situated in Number 1, Safdar jung Road.

Most of this amount was, indeed spent on refinishing the PMH while repair and renovation too took their toll. It is evident from the fact that no more construction work was undertaken beyond certain cosmetic changes, all in the name of beefing up security

According to official sources, there is no limit one expenditure for PMH.

Rajiv according to sources, did not bother to sanction anything “that was suggested by his merit interims of import of sophisticated security gadgets. The entire complex of number 6 and 7 Race Course Road, in which Rajiv Gandhi moved following his mother’s assassination was result converted into a veritable cocoon, No wonder, it entailed heavy expenditure.

Surprisingly, however, the VP Singh, Chandra Shekhar reign saw no less expenditure in PMH, renovation. Both together spent a whopping Rs 80 lakh. Indeed, Chandra Shekhar chose to maintain two residences-Number 3 South Avenue as well as the Race Course Road one.

The ministry of urban development has been pursuing 2 proposals to construct a new official residence for the Prime Minister. But no final decision has yet been taken on the matter. It’s to be seen how much the Narasimha Rao government spends on renovation of the sanctum sanctorum

Article extracted from this publication >> March 20, 1992