DELHI’S COLONIAL-ERA Lutyens bungalows have long been a status symbol. Situated in the heart of the national capital, these estates are allotted to union ministers and other top government functionaries as their official residences as a reflection of their rank and responsibilities. But with great power comes great responsibility — a financial one you can say. A recent Right to Information (RTI) query has revealed that the government has been spending a significant chunk of public funds in the renovation, furnishing, and repair of these old buildings, with Rs 92.35 crore spent between 2025-2026.

What Does The RTI Reveal About Govt Spending On Lutyens Bungalows?

As per an RTI petition filed by news agency PTI, the upkeep costs of these Lutyens bungalows totaled Rs 92.35 crore in 2025-26. This figure is significantly higher than the amount spent between 2014-15, which was Rs 27.47 crore. Now nearly a century-old, these bungalows require increasing maintenance efforts as years pass. Through the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) — the department that oversees and manages the renovation, furnishing and repairs of these buildings —  the government has spent Rs 547.68 crore on maintenance works between 2014-15 and 2025-26.

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The given data reveals that the government's annual bill for the maintenance of these Lutyens bungalows in 2025-26 has been the highest since 2014. This increased expenditure is owed to gradual degradation of these buildings, as well as inflation in the economy. CPWD officials over the years have pointed towards recurring maintenance challenges such as seepage, termite infestation, ageing electrical systems, plumbing problems, and other repairs. Even though there were unofficial, unannounced plans in the past to demolish these old bungalows and erect new ones in their place, nothing of the sort has happened. 

“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 told The Economic Times.

During 2014-2019, ministers spent around Rs 26.78 crore on average per year on repairs and upgradation of their Lutyens residences. The average annual spending doubled in the following five years, with nearly Rs 50 crore from 2019 to 2024. In 2024-25, Rs 71.98 crore were spent, and in 2023-24 it was Rs 54.52 crore as per the RTI reply.

Year-wise split-up of the expenditure incurred on Lutyens Bungalows' maintenance is as follows:

In CPWD’s RTI reply, expenditure incurred on the maintenance of bungalows occupied by Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs who are not ministers, or on the offices of Union ministers and ministers of state, was not included. 

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A staff member of a cabinet minister, on the condition of anonymity, informed PTI that the most frequent demands for maintenance were for mending electrical items such as fans and LED lights, plumbing work every few months, and replacing floor tiles every few years.

About Delhi’s Lutyens Bungalow Zone

The Lutyens Bungalow Zone was established in the colonial era between 1912 and 1930, when the British administration was in the process of making New Delhi the imperial capital. The 2,800-hectare historic precinct was named after British architect Sir Edwin Lutyens. It features around 1,000 stately bungalows housing top government officials amidst wide, tree-lined, green avenues.

After India gained independence, the zone and its buildings were utilized to house senior government officials. Additionally, members of  Parliament, senior judges, and top military officials are also allotted residence in this zone. 

(Edited by Agniva Ray)

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