Members of Parliament will now have a deeper pocket to renovate their official residences after a House panel recently increased the funds for such work by more than 230%. The increased limit — from ₹1.5 lakh to ₹5 lakh — is widely viewed as a much-needed hike as MPs tend to make alterations or additions to their official accommodations, including offices and guest rooms.
Lawmakers, who live in bungalows and apartments in South and North Avenues, face rising costs due to alterations in old structures.
“Members are informed that the financial limit for additions/alterations in MPs’ residences has been revised from ₹1,50,000 to ₹5,00,000 by the house committee,” a Lok Sabha secretariat’s circular read.
The house committee handles all issues related to accommodation of lawmakers in New Delhi.
According to Lok Sabha officials, several MPs have requested CPWD, the central government’s construction arm, to facilitate “additions and alterations to their residences”. CPWD is the only agency authorised for construction work for government premises in the NMDC area.
“Members are informed that CPWD has been intimated to review estimates submitted to the Lok Sabha Secretariat, ensuring strict compliance with the relevant guidelines/rules for additions/alterations in MPs Flats/Bungalows,” the circular said.
“The revised estimates, not exceeding ₹5,00,000, shall be considered by the house committee. In this regard, attention of members is also invited to the para 6.2 of CPWD maintenance manual 2023 (as received from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs) which inter-alia states as: ‘no addition/alteration in the plinth area shall be made without approval of the architect/SA/CA and the ministry’,” the circular stated.
In December 2019, the then housing development minister Hardeep Singh Puri had informed Parliament that the government has spent ₹193 crore in five years to renovate and repair the MPs’ bungalows in the Lutyens’ area. Puri had also informed the House that the government has not imposed any cap on expenditure for repairs.
While Lutyens’ bungalows are heritage structures, the Narendra Modi government in its second term had built modern duplex bungalows for MPs in North Avenue, demolishing some old flats.