Delhi CM Rekha Gupta yet to get official residence, forced to travel 25 km daily to reach Secretariat

NEW DELHI: Despite becoming the Chief Minister of the national capital after toppling the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), BJP’s Rekha Gupta is yet to receive an official residence. It’s been 50 days since she took the oath of office and assumed charge as Delhi’s Chief Minister, but she still hasn’t been allotted government accommodation. Rekha is currently residing in her own house in Shalimar Bagh. Due to the lack of official housing, she has to travel over 25 kilometers every day to reach the Delhi Secretariat.

The Public Works Department (PWD) of the Delhi government is responsible for allotting official residences. Although an evaluation of available official accommodations for the Chief Minister has been conducted, the delay is reportedly due to the absence of a final decision. Rekha Gupta declined to stay at the residence previously occupied by former CM Arvind Kejriwal at 6, Flagstaff Road. It is reported that she has expressed a preference to stay either in the Civil Lines area near her own constituency, or in Lutyens’ Delhi, which offers easier access for meetings with central government officials. However, a residence in the Lutyens zone requires clearance and approval from the Central Public Works Department (CPWD).

Rekha Gupta is the fourth woman to serve as Chief Minister of the national capital, following in the footsteps of Sushma Swaraj, Sheila Dikshit, and Atishi. She is currently the only woman Chief Minister among the NDA-ruled states. The 50-year-old belongs to the Baniya community, and her rise to the top post is credited to her strong organizational skills and the backing of the RSS.