'Fix schools, not lavish homes': CJP targets Centre over ministers' bungalow spending

The Cockroach Janta Party CJP has criticised the Centre over the record Rs 9235 crore spent on the upkeep of Union ministers official residences in the last financial year arguing that the money could instead have been used to improve government schoolsReacting to reports on the expenditure on the official bungalows occupied by Union ministers the CJP accused the government of misplaced priorities and questioned the rationale behind the rising spending on the residencesStop fixing your lavish homes and fix the schools the CJP said in a post on XThe organisation added Rs 92 crore 10 new worldclass government schools The money is available the intent to use it for government schools is missingCJP turns focus to government school infrastructureThe latest campaign by the CJP focuses on the condition of government schools and comes amid a debate over public spending prioritiesThe group was founded by Abhijeet Dipke in May as a satirical response to Chief Justice of India Surya Kants cockroach remark It has since positioned itself as a broader youth movement raising issues including unemployment and examination irregularitiesThe CJP used the expenditure on ministers official residences to highlight what it described as a gap between spending on government properties and investment in public educationSpending on ministers residences reaches record highAccording to information obtained by PTI through an RTI query expenditure on the renovation furnishing and repair of Union ministers official residences in Delhi increased from Rs 2747 crore in 201415 to a record Rs 9235 crore in 202526The Central Public Works Department CPWD which is responsible for maintaining the residences spent a cumulative Rs 54768 crore on renovation furnishing and repair work at the properties during the 12year period from 201415 to 202526The figures show a significant increase in expenditure in recent years The annual average stood at Rs 2678 crore between 201415 and 201819 before nearly doubling to around Rs 50 crore between 201920 and 202324The expenditure subsequently increased to Rs 7198 crore in 202425 before reaching Rs 9235 crore in 202526Officials cite age of colonialera bungalowsOfficials have attributed the rising expenditure to the cost of maintaining the ageing bungalows used as official residences by ministersMany of the properties were built between 80 and 100 years ago and require regular maintenance Officials have pointed to issues including seepage termite infestation and ageing electrical and plumbing systems as factors contributing to the repair and maintenance costsThe government residences are part of Delhis older bungalow infrastructure much of which requires periodic renovation because of the age of the buildings and their utility systemsSomnath Bharti draws comparison with Kejriwal residenceThe expenditure has also prompted a political response from AAP leader and former Delhi minister Somnath Bharti who contrasted the latest figures with the BJPs criticism of expenditure on the official residence occupied by former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind KejriwalWhy doesnt 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 Bharti wrote on XThe BJP had previously made the construction and renovation of Kejriwals former official residence in Civil Lines a major political issue accusing the previous AAP government of excessive spendingDebate over public spending intensifiesThe BJP had repeatedly criticised the expenditure associated with Kejriwals former residence and referred to the property as a sheesh mahal making it a prominent issue in its political attacks on the former Delhi government