New Delhi: The annual expenditure on renovation, furnishing and repair of official residences of Union ministers in Delhi’s Lutyens bungalow zone was a record Rs 92.35 crore in 2025-26.
The amount is almost three-and-a-half times the Rs 27.47 crore spent in 2014-15, according to information obtained by PTI through an RTI query.
The government spent Rs 547.68 crore on such works between 2014-15 and 2025-26 through the Central Public Works Department (CPWD), which executes the repairs, renovation and maintenance works.
The annual bill for 2025-26 was the highest since 2014. Officials attributed the steep rise to factors like inflation, wear and tear costs of the ageing structures on expansive grounds in the heart of India’s Capital.
Over the years, CPWD officials have pointed to maintenance challenges of Lutyens bungalows such as seepage, termite infestation, ageing electrical systems, plumbing and other problems.
“These are mostly 80-90-100-year-old bungalows. Some, though not all, had even become structurally unsafe and needed to be upgraded,” an official said.
The Lutyens bungalow zone, developed between 1912 and 1930 as part of building New Delhi as the imperial capital, was later adapted for senior government functionaries after Independence.
Ministers apart, the bungalows are occupied by members of Parliament, senior judges and top military officers, among others.
