The Delhi Public Works Department (PWD) has announced plans to transform the long-vacant, reputedly 'jinxed' bungalow at 33 Shamnath Marg in Civil Lines into an Integrated Control and Command Centre. The facility will serve as the central control room for managing disasters in the city, according to officials.
Project Details and Timeline
A tender has been issued to hire a consultant to design layout plans and other aspects of the Integrated Control and Command Centre. The consultant must submit a detailed project report within two months from the date of award. The project, estimated to cost around Rs 17 lakh, will include overall cost estimates, maintenance costs, and manpower requirements, an official stated.
History of the 'Jinxed' Bungalow
The two-storey structure has been vacant for years and has earned a reputation among officials as 'inauspicious'. Successive occupants were initially reluctant to move in. The bungalow once housed Delhi's first chief minister, Chaudhary Brahm Prakash, who moved in after assuming office in 1952 but resigned in 1955 before completing his term following an alleged scam.
In 1993, the bungalow was allotted to Madan Lal Khurana after he became chief minister. He did not move in, instead using it as an office, and resigned in 1996 before completing his term. In 2013, it was allotted to Shakti Sinha, then principal secretary (power), who left within four months. Deep Chand Bandhu, a former industries minister, was allotted the bungalow and died during his tenure in 2003. Former chief minister Sheila Dikshit reportedly preferred moving to a much smaller bungalow on Mathura Road.
Historical Significance
The property dates back to the 1920s, when the British developed Civil Lines as a residential enclave for senior government officials. Spread across a large plot, the estate includes four bedrooms, multiple drawing rooms, a spacious living area, fountains, a front lawn, an outhouse, and seven staff quarters.
Budget Announcement
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announced the command centre in this year's budget. The centre is designed to serve as the central control room for managing any disaster in the city, according to officials.
