The Rs 92-crore cost of Lutyens Delhi’s bungalows

The maintenance of India's historic Lutyens bungalows in New Delhi, once part of the imperial capital's development between 1912 and 1930, is becoming increasingly pricey. In 2025-26, the annual expenditure for renovation, furnishing, and repair reached a record-high Rs 92.35 crore, more than tripling the Rs 27.47 crore spent in 2014-15. The Central Public Works Department (CPWD) handled these costs, spending a total of Rs 547.68 crore between 2014-15 and 2025-26 on such works.

Officials attribute the rising costs to factors such as inflation and the wear and tear of aging structures in the expansive grounds of the capital. Past challenges include seepage, termite infestations, outdated electrical systems, plumbing problems, and the need for upgrades due to structural unsafety. Some of these 80-90-100-year-old bungalows have been considered for demolition and rebuilding.

Built during New Delhi's construction as the imperial capital's seat of government, the bungalow zone was also occupied by senior government functionaries, members of Parliament, judges, and military officers after Independence. Historian Swapna Liddle explains that while Edwin Lutyens named the zone, he designed only those within the President's Estate, with the rest created by CPWD architects.

The average annual spending on repairs and upgradation rose from Rs 26.78 crore from 2014 to 2019, to nearly Rs 50 crore from 2019 to 2024, and reached Rs 92.35 crore in 2025-26. The cost per minister in 2025-26 was estimated at Rs 1.2 crore, though actual expenditure varies. Frequent repairs involve electrical items, plumbing work, and floor tiles, with CPWD data not detailing costs for MPs' residences or Union ministers' offices.