India Spends Record 92.35 Crore on Minister Residences

The Central Public Works Department spent a record ₹92.35 crore during the 2025-26 financial year to repair, renovate, and furnish the official residences of Union ministers in New Delhi's Lutyens Bungalow Zone. This expenditure is more than three times the ₹27.47 crore spent in 2014-15. Data obtained through a Right to Information query shows the government spent a total of ₹547.68 crore on these works between 2014-15 and 2025-26.

For the most recent financial year, the average cost per minister was approximately ₹1.2 crore, though actual costs varied by residence. The agency attributed the rising costs to inflation and the advanced age of the structures, which date back to between 1912 and 1930. Maintenance issues include termite infestation, seepage, and failing electrical and plumbing systems.

Officials noted that some of the 80- to 100-year-old bungalows had become structurally unsafe and required urgent upgrades. The agency did not provide expenditure data for the official offices of ministers or the residences of non-ministerial Members of Parliament.