Modi linked the project to broader cost-cutting goals, recalling that ministries in rented premises were costing the exchequer around Rs 1,500 crore annually.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday inaugurated a new multi-storey residential complex in Delhi for members of Parliament, describing it as a measure to ease lawmakers’ housing shortages and reduce expenditure on rented properties.

The four towers, named Krishna, Godavari, Kosi and Hooghly after major rivers, will house more than 180 MPs. Modi said the buildings replace old residences that had fallen into disrepair, freeing lawmakers from persistent maintenance problems and enabling them to focus more on public work.

“These new residences will also increase the ease of living for our MPs,” Modi said, adding that the project was completed with the hard work of engineers and construction workers.

The Prime Minister noted that no new residences for Lok Sabha MPs were built between 2004 and 2014 despite shortages. Since 2014, about 350 MP residences have been constructed, including the new flats.

Modi linked the project to broader cost-cutting goals, recalling that ministries in rented premises were costing the exchequer around Rs 1,500 crore annually. “This was a direct waste of the nation’s money,” he said, adding that increasing official housing capacity would also help reduce government spending.

The complex’s construction follows the recent inauguration of the Common Central Secretariat, or Kartavya Bhavan, aimed at consolidating government offices to improve efficiency and lower rental expenses.

The new residences incorporate solar-enabled infrastructure and other environmental features, reflecting what Modi called India’s “pro-environment and pro-future-safe” development approach. He urged MPs to keep the premises clean, suggesting cleanliness competitions between blocks.

Encouraging cultural exchange, he proposed collective celebration of festivals from different states and learning regional languages to promote the “Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat” (One India, Great India) concept.

By naming the towers after rivers, Modi said, the project symbolises national unity. He dismissed any political interpretation, stressing that rivers are cultural lifelines. The Prime Minister said he hoped MPs would make good use of the spacious flats, adding: “Our efforts will become a role model for the nation.”

The Lok Sabha Secretariat has not disclosed the project’s cost but said it was designed to meet functional and environmental standards.