The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) has approved the establishment of a Human Resources and Engineering Training Centre on the site of the 15th-century Pathan Mahal, which was demolished to make way for a government residence.
The Delhi government’s archaeology department had identified the palace, located in Jal Vihar, Lajpat Nagar, as a historic site worthy of preservation. On January 19, 2021, the department had written to the DJB demanding the return of the palace’s land. By January 2023, a department inspection revealed that most of the historic structure had disappeared, replaced by a government bungalow.
It is alleged that a portion of Pathan Mahal was demolished on the orders of then-DJB CEO Udit Prakash Rai, who lived there with his family. Rai served as CEO until May 31, 2022, and his family continued to occupy the bungalow even after his transfer to Mizoram, vacating it only after a High Court order.
Rai is under investigation for corruption and allegedly forging signatures on his Annual Performance Appraisal Report (APAR). He was suspended by the Ministry of Home Affairs in July 2023, and the probe is ongoing.
On Friday, the DJB decided to convert the government residence on the site of the demolished Pathan Mahal into a Human Resources and Engineering Training Centre, marking the next phase of development at the location.