The government spent Rs 92.35 crore in 2025-26 on the repair, maintenance and decoration of the official residences of Union ministers in Lutyens Bungalow Zone of Delhi. According to information received from RTI, this amount is more than three times the Rs 27.47 crore spent in 2014-15. This information has come out in response to PTI's RTI application.
The Central Public Works Department (CPWD) carries out the maintenance and repair of these government bungalows. According to the data, a total of Rs 547.68 crore was spent on the residences of ministers between 2014-15 and 2025-26. Officials say that the expenditure has increased due to rising inflation and the cost of maintaining decades-old bungalows.
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Many bungalows are 80 to 100 years old
According to CPWD, many government bungalows in Lutyens Zone are 80 to 100 years old. These buildings face problems related to dampness, termites, old electrical system and plumbing. The condition of some bungalows was such that along with their repairs, work on structural strength also had to be done. Lutyens' Bungalow Zone was developed between 1912 and 1930 during the construction of New Delhi. Today, apart from Union Ministers, MPs, senior judges and top military officers also get government residences in this area.
Annual expenditure doubled in five years
RTI data shows that between 2014 and 2019, an average of Rs 26.78 crore was spent every year on repair and upgradation of ministers' residences. Between 2019 and 2024, this average increased to around Rs 50 crore. After this the expenditure increased further. Rs 71.98 crore was spent on government bungalows in 2024-25, while in 2025-26 this figure reached Rs 92.35 crore. That means the expenditure increased by about Rs 20.37 crore in one year.
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An average of Rs 1.2 crore on a minister's residence
If we look at the total expenditure of the last financial year according to about 70-72 Union Ministers, the average expenditure per minister is about Rs 1.2 crore. However, the actual cost varies according to each housing need. According to a minister's staff, electrical items, fans and LED lights, plumbing and floor tiles often need repair or replacement.
According to RTI, a total of Rs 93.50 crore was spent on the maintenance and repair of bungalows allotted to MPs and Union Ministers between 2004 and 2009. That is, the expenditure of one year in 2025-26 reached almost equal to the total expenditure of that five-year period.