New Delhi, The upkeep of Delhi’s iconic Lutyens bungalows, now nearly a century old, is becoming increasingly expensive annual expenditure on the renovation, furnishing and repair of the official residences of Union ministers touched a record high of ₹ 92.35 crore in 2025-26, more than three times the ₹ 27.47 crore in 2014-15.
In the past, there have also been plans, though never officially announced, to raze and rebuild some of the bungalows. CPWD officials have, over the years, pointed to maintenance challenges such as seepage, termite infestation, ageing electrical systems, plumbing problems and other repairs.
“These bungalows reflected the same pattern seen in residences that the British built in Civil Lines in most Indian cities to house their officials: a big compound, with ancillary buildings for the staff apart from the main building. One such bungalow, currently occupied by Home Minister Amit Shah on Krishna Menon Marg, once housed Herbert Baker, the architect of the old Parliament Building and the North and South Blocks,” she added. The government spent ₹ 547.68 crore on such works between 2014-15 and 2025-26 through the Central Public Works Department , which executes the repairs, renovation and maintenance works, according to information obtained by PTI through an RTI query. The data shows that the annual bill for 2025-26 was the highest since 2014, officials said, attributing it to various factors, including inflation as well as the wear and tear costs of the ageing structures set in expansive grounds in the heart of the capital. The Union council of ministers over the years has comprised around 70 to 72 Cabinet ministers and ministers of state. At ₹ 92.35 crore in the last financial year, the cost of repairs and renovation works out to an average of ₹ 1.2 crore per minister, though actual expenditure varies from residence to residence. Between 2004 and 2009, a period of five years, the government spent a cumulative ₹ 93.50 crore on maintenance and renovation of bungalows allotted to Members of Parliament and Union ministers, according to an RTI response in September 2009.
“Most of New Delhi’s colonial-era government bungalows were designed by architects of the Public Works Department under the British administration,” said Liddle, author of “Connaught Place and the Making of New Delhi”. A staff member of a Cabinet minister told PTI on condition of anonymity that the most frequent demands for repair and renovation mostly concern electrical items such as fans, LED lights and plumbing work every few months, and replacing floor tiles every few years.
