CJP slams Centre over record upkeep bill
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has hit out at the Centre over the Rs 92.35 crore spent on the upkeep of Union ministers' official residences in the last financial year, saying the money could have been better used to build government schools. In a social media post, the outfit said: "Stop fixing your lavish homes, and fix the schools!"
The reaction came after news agency PTI reported, through an RTI query, that expenditure on renovation, furnishing and repair of the colonial-era bungalows occupied by ministers had touched a record high. "Rs 92 crore = 10 new world-class government schools. The money is available; the intent to use it for government schools is missing," the CJP said.
Rising costs over a decade
According to the RTI data, spending on the official residences of Union ministers in Delhi rose sharply over the years. It climbed from Rs 27.47 crore in 2014-15 to Rs 71.98 crore in 2024-25, and then to Rs 92.35 crore in 2025-26.
The Central Public Works Department (CPWD), which maintains the properties, spent a cumulative Rs 547.68 crore on such works over the 12 years from 2014-15 to 2025-26. The annual average was Rs 26.78 crore between 2014-15 and 2018-19, nearly doubled to around Rs 50 crore between 2019-20 and 2023-24, and then surged further.
Officials attributed the rising bill to the cost of maintaining ageing bungalows, many of which are 80 to 100 years old and suffer from seepage, termite infestation, and ageing electrical and plumbing systems.
Political context and reactions
The CJP, founded by Abhijeet Dipke in May as a satirical response to Chief Justice of India Surya Kant's "cockroach" remark, has grown into a broader youth movement focusing on unemployment and examination irregularities. Its latest campaign has centred on the state of government schools.
AAP leader Somnath Bharti sought to draw a contrast with the controversy over Arvind Kejriwal's official residence when he was chief minister. The BJP had made the expenditure on Kejriwal's former Civil Lines residence a major political issue, dubbing it a "sheesh mahal". Bharti wrote on X: "Why doesn't the Godi media debate this 92 crore splurge on repair of houses of ministers in Modi govt who left no stone unturned to criticise Kejriwal govt for constructing a CM house?"
Upcoming meeting and possible fresh stir
The CJP's national working committee is scheduled to meet on Monday to review the Centre's commitments after the outfit withdrew its nationwide agitation on July 25. The group has alleged that the government has not formally communicated steps to fulfil assurances made during talks, including the withdrawal or quashing of FIRs against students and peaceful protesters, and compensation for families of NEET-UG candidates who died by suicide after the exam was cancelled following a paper leak controversy.
The CJP has warned that any attempt to "dilute, delay, reinterpret or dishonour" the commitments would amount to "vishwasghaat" with the country's youth. It has said the possibility of another peaceful nationwide agitation will be considered at Monday's meeting. The protests at Jantar Mantar earlier had led to the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.