The newly elected Haryana government has sanctioned Rs 15 crore for the renovation and upkeep of bungalows belonging to 14 ministers, including Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini. The Assembly approved the funds as part of the supplementary budget for the fiscal year 2024-25, according to an IANS report.
This expenditure was introduced and approved during the Supplementary Estimates session of the Assembly. A government document, acquired by IANS, read the need for allocation as: “Being a post-budget development, the provision could not be made in the Budget Estimates for 2024-25. Hence, the demand of Rs 15 crore is being made through Supplementary Estimates.”
The proposal faced no resistance from the opposition Congress and was passed without debate.
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Following the formation of the BJP government under Chief Minister Saini, new office and residential allocations were made for ministers. Among the 14 ministers, only Energy Minister Anil Vij declined official accommodation.
Despite significant expenditures on ministerial residences over the past five years, Rs 15 crore has now been allocated for further renovations, upgrades, and repairs as per the ministers’ preferences.
The Public Works Department (PWD) has been tasked with overseeing the renovations. PWD Minister Ranbir Gangwa defended the decision, stating: “It is but natural that when new persons move in, they undertake renovation according to their preferences. These are old buildings, so repairs are needed every five years.”
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Five-Year Renovation Spending Exceeds Rs 21 Crore
The Haryana government has spent over Rs 21 crore on ministerial bungalow renovations since the beginning of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar’s second term in October 2019. Annual expenditures include:
– ₹64.84 lakh (2019-20, partial fiscal year)
– ₹8.15 crore (2020-21)
– ₹6.87 crore (2021-22)
– ₹3.30 crore (2022-23)
– ₹2.45 crore (2023-24)
High-Cost Renovations
Several ministers’ residences stand out for their disproportionately high renovation costs:
– Dushyant Chautala (Former Deputy CM, PWD Minister): Renovations of his Sector 2 residence over four years totalled ₹3.52 crore.
– Ranjit Singh (Former Power Minister): ₹2.77 crore was spent on four rounds of repairs at his Sector 3 bungalow.
– Sandeep Singh (Former Sports Minister): His Sector 7 residence underwent five rounds of renovations, costing ₹2.50 crore.
– OP Yadav (Former Social Justice and Empowerment Minister): His Sector 7 house saw four renovations, totalling ₹1.61 crores.
– Speaker Gian Chand Gupta: The Sector 2 bungalow allocated to him underwent five renovations, costing ₹1.50 crore.
– Devender Singh Babli (Former JJP Minister): Two rounds of renovations in just two years cost ₹1.42 crore.
