The Union Ministry of Urban Development changed the number of a bungalow allotted to the former Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, at his request, though there are no rules allowing such changes.

This has come to light through an application under the Right to Information Act.

On May 19, 2004, the Ministry received an “unusual request” from the office of Mr. Vajpayee, then caretaker Prime Minister, for altering the number of the accommodation being readied for him after he demitted office.

According to the Ministry’s response to Subhash Aggarwal’s petition, Anupam Dasgupta, an Additional Secretary in the Ministry, received a letter from Ashok Saikia, Additional Secretary in the PMO. “We have been advised that it would be more appropriate that Bungalow No. 8, Krishna Menon Marg, is re-numbered as 6-A, prior to its allotment to the Prime Minister after he demits office,” the letter reads.