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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 Rs 92.35 crore in 2025-26, more than three times the Rs 27.47 crore in 2014-15. According to information obtained by PTI through an RTI query, the government spent Rs 547.68 crore on such works between 2014-15 and 2025-26 through the Central Public Works Department (CPWD), which executes the repairs, renovation and maintenance works. 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. CPWD officials have, over the years, pointed to maintenance challenges such as seepage, termite infestation, ageing electrical systems, plumbing problems and
The Delhi Gymkhana Club on Saturday said it will write to the Land and Development Office seeking clarity on several issues after the Centre asked the club to hand over its premises by June 5. In an official communication to its members, the club said the Centre has asked it to hand over its premises in Lutyens' Delhi to "strengthen and secure defence infrastructure" and for other public security purposes. The club said it received the notice on May 22 from the Land and Development Office (L&DO) under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, seeking "re-entry and resumption" of the 27.3-acre land parcel, which is located on 2, Safdarjung Road, adjacent to the prime minister's residence on Lok Kalyan Marg. "Pursuant to the sudden development, the Gymkhana Club met today on an urgent basis and after detailed deliberation decided to file an immediate response to the L&DO requesting clarity on several issues in the interest of the members and employees of the club," it said. The
The New Delhi Municipal Council is looking to hire a financial advisor for assessment in the development of parking facilities in the Lutyens' Delhi on a public-private partnership basis, the civic body said in a statement. The NDMC has floated a proposal for the exercise and has identified 51 locations for development of parking facilities. The places include the Rail Museum, Claridges Hotel, Thapar House, Yashwant Place, Palika Place, Khan Market. "There are several problem areas in manually-managed parking facilities that are direct consequences of poor permit management. Using smart parking solutions promises to optimise permit management for NDMC which is a highly sensitive area," an official said. Smart Parking solves inconsistencies in parking collection, improper usage of all parking spaces, overcrowding and chaos in public places, poor handling of overtime parking and other violations, he said. "Since this is affecting revenue of NDMC, so, a proper survey of the area on .
Lutyens' Delhi has lost more than 350 trees due to rain and storm in the past three years, data from the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) showed. According to the data, more than eight lakh saplings were planted in the NDMC region over a period of two years. In reply to an RTI query by PTI, the civic body stated that it also engaged residents and societies in mass plantation programmes to increase green cover. Indigenous tree species such as neem, peepal, pilkhan, jamun, arjun, khirni, and imli were planted in the NDMC area when British architect Edwin Landseer Lutyens was entrusted with the task to plan New Delhi in 1911. "A total of 354 trees have fallen in last three years due to heavy storm and rain. The NDMC's horticulture department is regularly doing pruning to balance the trees. As many as 8,38,675 tree saplings have been planted in NDMC area in last two years," the NDMC said. It also said that at present there are 1.5 lakh threes in the NDMC area. In the RTI reply, the