7 Race Course Road prepares to bid farewell

New Delhi: There is a flurry of activity at two of the VIP bungalows in the Lutyen’s Zone of the national capital, with one preparing to bid farewell to its special guest of 10 years while the other is being decked up to welcome its new resident.

A sprawling bungalow at 3, Motilal Nehru Road, will now be the new abode of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, once he retires after the Lok Sabha polls. According to the PMO, the work is almost completed at the new address.

“The Motilal Nehru Road bungalow is almost ready. Shifting of stuff from the official residence to the new place is underway. Lot of stuff has been shifted and more is on its way,” Pankaj Pachauri, media adviser to the PM said.

“The Prime Minister’s wife Gursharan Kaur has herself been visiting the new bungalow to oversee the work being done there,” he said.

A new sentry post has been erected at the main entrance while horticulture staff are busy manicuring the lawns. Stone slabs and other raw materials were also being wheeled into the premises. Work on putting up the security cabin at the main gate is underway.

However, movement isn’t just at the new address 7, Race Course Road, the PM’s official residence, is also busy packing up books, flower vases and gifts given to Dr Singh for whom the pristine bungalow has been home during two successive terms of the UPA government.

Mr Pachuari said that the PM would shift to the new bungalow as soon as the next incumbent takes oath.