New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta presented the ₹1 lakh crore Budget for FY26, marking a 31.5% increase from the previous year. Calling it a shift from economic mismanagement to Viksit Delhi, the Budget focuses on women's welfare, healthcare, education, and infrastructure development.

Major allocations and key sectors

The Budget includes significant investments aimed at transforming the capital:

  • Women’s Welfare: ₹5,100 crore allocated for Mahila Samridhi Yojana, ensuring ₹2,500 monthly support for eligible women.
  • Healthcare: ₹6,874 crore set aside for health and wellness centres under Ayushman Arogya Mandir and an additional ₹5 lakh top-up for Ayushman beneficiaries.
  • Education: ₹100 crore allocated for new CM Shri schools, alongside ₹750 crore for free laptops to 1,200 students passing Class X.
  • Infrastructure: ₹3,843 crore for roads and bridges, ₹1,000 crore for improved connectivity with NCR, and ₹696 crore for upgrading slum facilities.
  • Yamuna Cleaning: ₹500 crore allocated for the development of 40 decentralised sewage treatment plants to prevent direct discharge of polluted water into the river.

BJP’s first budget in 26 years

Gupta took a strong stance against the previous AAP government, accusing it of financial mismanagement. She claimed that revenue was lost to liquor mafias and PWD corruption, adding that the BJP-led government aims to rebuild Delhi with transparency and development-driven policies.

CM Rekha Gupta further criticised AAP, stating, "There is a lot of difference between us and them (AAP)... You (AAP) made promises, we will fulfil them. You abused the governments of the other states, we will establish harmony and work together... You made 'Sheesh Mahal', we will build houses for the poor... You installed pot toilets worth lakhs, we will make toilets for the people in slum areas..."

She also emphasised her government's commitment to cleaning the Yamuna River, calling it not just a river but a part of the nation’s cultural heritage. "Today, the Yamuna is struggling with sewage and polluted water... We are committed to cleaning the Yamuna River. It is not just a river for us; it is our cultural heritage... ₹500 crores have been allocated to develop 40 decentralised sewage plants so that any sewage water is not released directly in the Yamuna River," she said.

Ahead of the Budget presentation, CM Gupta visited Hanuman Temple in Connaught Place, stating, “Bajrang Bali will bless Delhi with prosperity.” The BJP has framed this Budget as a step towards Ram Rajya, aligning it with its broader ideological narrative.

Opposition criticism

Meanwhile, Congress MP Praniti Shinde criticised the government’s approach, claiming that crucial issues like farmers’ struggles were being ignored. "When I was asking questions regarding agriculture and brought it to the record that in Maharashtra, more than 30,000 farmers have committed suicide and more than 700 farmers died during the farmers' protest, my mic was turned off. It was an important question. Why are farmers leaving agriculture? Why are farmers committing suicide? Farmers are not being provided with loans... but the Maharashtra govt is only focusing on irrelevant issues," she stated.