
The government spent a record ₹92.35 crore in 2025-26 on renovation, furnishing and repair of Union ministers' official residences in Delhi, according to RTI data obtained by PTI. This is more than…
The government spent a record ₹92.35 crore in 2025-26 on renovation, furnishing and repair of Union ministers' official residences in Delhi, according to RTI data obtained by PTI. This is more than triple the ₹27.47 crore spent in 2014-15. Total expenditure on these bungalows through the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) since 2014-15 stands at ₹547.68 crore, with spending rising sharply in recent years.

Mathrubhumi reports that government officials attribute the rising costs to inflation and the ageing of the 80-to-100-year-old structures, which suffer from seepage, termite infestation and failing electrical systems. NDTV's shorter report notes that the most frequent repair demands include electrical items, plumbing work and floor tile replacement. The spending per minister works out to roughly ₹1.2 crore annually, though actual costs vary widely between residences.
The Mathrubhumi report leads with the record ₹92.35 crore figure, framing it as a steep rise from ₹27.47 crore in 2014-15, and includes government and CPWD officials' explanations, inflation and ageing structures, alongside historian context about the bungalows' colonial origins. NDTV's shorter version focuses solely on the raw numbers, omitting any official justification or historical backdrop, which leaves the story sounding more like a cost indictment without counterpoint. The careful reader should note that neither source opposes the spending itself, the divergence is that one provides full official context while the other relies on a stark deficit that implies waste. The key metric to watch is whether RTI data for 2026-27 shows a continued climb or a plateau near this record high.
Coverage: 2 sources, 2 neutral
Sources (2): english.mathrubhumi.com (neutral report), ndtv.com (neutral report)
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.