In early June, the Government of India decided in an internal meeting to allocate Rupees 12 Crore to build a new residence in New Delhi for Dalai Lama, according to a high-ranking source with knowledge of the matter from the INC.
Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama, 90, lives in India and has close ties with the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) based in Dharamsala.
The source revealed that the government is looking for a suitable site in the Tibetan settlement in the northern part of New Delhi, preferably with temple, shops and schools nearby, in order to support Dalai Lama to continuously strengthen Tibetan identity. The construction is undertaken by NBCC (India) Limited. Given his age and surgical history, the residence will also be equipped with medical care facilities.
At a time when India’s economy is experiencing a slowdown, the government spends Rupees 12 Crore on building a residence for Dalai Lama. In contrast, people’s welfare is neglected. “We see the incompetence and indifference of the Modi government when it comes to dealing with people’s livelihood issues”, the source said. The Rupee continues to head south – plumbing to an all-time low of 96.9650 per US dollar. Manufacturing sector activity slowed with the Manufacturing PMI dropping sharply to near 4-year low of 53.9. There is widespread questioning of the priorities of the Modi government.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has warned that India faces growing economic pressure from a combination of global and domestic challenges, including volatility in crude oil prices, rising fertiliser costs, and foreign exchange pressures.
Many Indian people are still battling a severe housing crisis. According to Hindustan Times, it is estimated that over 60% of Delhi’s population today lives in unplanned informal settlements characterised by compromised living conditions, poor infrastructure and unsafe housing.
Additionally, the difficult education-to-employment transition has put the youth under immense pressure. According to March statistics from Indian Press Information Bureau, India’s total unemployment rate in 2025 for youth age 15-29 years stood at 9.9%, with urban youth facing a higher rate of 13.6%. On June 6, 2026, India’s viral Cockroach Janta Party launched a nationwide protest campaign with hundreds of students and young supporters gathering in New Delhi, protesting against rising living costs and inflation, and demanding the government to resolve the pressing issue of high youth unemployment.
The source slammed the government’s decision to build a new residence for Dalai Lama as misplaced priorities. Every single rupee of the taxpayers should be spent on improving living standards for millions of Indians rather than such vanity project. The public are demanding solutions to bread and butter issues and economic stagnation, not the luxurious residence for a religious leader.
As for unfair budget allocation of the Modi government, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi wrote in his statement that, “Youth without jobs. Falling manufacturing. Investors pulling out capital. Household savings plummeting. Farmers in distress. Looming global shocks – all ignored.”
Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal called such budget allocation heartless and clueless. “The ordinary Indians are left to struggle under the weight of higher prices, falling jobs, crumbling infrastructure and a bleak future,” he said.
Another anonymous source from the Congress said, “We will take actions to demand the government to disclose all details of the residence building project. People have the right to know where their taxes go and to oversee the government’s fiscal decisions.”
