The cost of maintaining official residences occupied by Union ministers in Delhi has climbed to a record high, with the government spending Rs 92.35 crore on renovation, furnishing and repairs in 2025-26, according to information obtained through the Right to Information (RTI) Act. The expenditure was more than three times the Rs 27.47 crore recorded in 2014-15. Data furnished under the RTI query showed that the Centre spent a cumulative Rs 547.68 crore on these residences between 2014-15 and 2025-26. The work is undertaken by the Central Public Works Department (CPWD).
Upkeep bill rises sharply
The annual expenditure has risen particularly sharply in recent years. After remaining below Rs 31 crore annually between 2014-15 and 2019-20, the bill jumped to Rs 53.87 crore in 2020-21. It subsequently stood at Rs 40.84 crore in 2021-22 before climbing to Rs 73.86 crore in 2022-23. Expenditure fell to Rs 54.52 crore in 2023-24 but rose again to Rs 71.98 crore in 2024-25. The latest figure of Rs 92.35 crore is the highest annual expenditure recorded during the 12-year period covered by the RTI data.
Between 2014 and 2019, the average annual expenditure was about Rs 26.78 crore. The corresponding average for the five years from 2019 to 2024 was nearly Rs 50 crore, reflecting the growing financial burden of maintaining the government properties. Officials have attributed the increase to inflation as well as the deteriorating condition of many of the ageing residences. Maintenance requirements include addressing seepage and termite damage, replacing or repairing old electrical systems and tackling recurring plumbing problems. Some properties have also required more extensive structural upgrades.
Century-old residences
Many of the government bungalows in central Delhi date back close to a century. The bungalow zone took shape between 1912 and 1930 as New Delhi was developed as the capital of British India and was subsequently used to accommodate senior government functionaries after Independence.
Apart from Union ministers, government bungalows in the area are allotted to MPs, senior judges, military officers and other senior functionaries. However, the RTI response did not provide expenditure figures for residences occupied by Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs who are not ministers. It also did not give expenditure incurred on the offices of Union ministers and ministers of state. The Union Council of Ministers has generally comprised around 70 to 72 Cabinet ministers and ministers of state. On a simple division of the Rs 92.35-crore expenditure, the figure translates to roughly Rs 1.2 crore per minister in 2025-26, although actual spending differs substantially from one residence to another depending on the work required.
Routine requests at ministerial residences include work on electrical fixtures, fans and lights, plumbing repairs and periodic replacement of flooring and tiles. More substantial expenditure can arise when an ageing property requires structural repairs or extensive renovation.
The latest numbers underline a sustained rise in the cost of maintaining Delhi's government bungalow stock. For comparison, an RTI response in 2009 had put cumulative spending on maintenance and renovation of bungalows allotted to MPs and Union ministers at Rs 93.50 crore for the five-year period between 2004 and 2009.