The Delhi government’s budget for 2025-26 was presented by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and totaled ₹1 lakh crore . This represents a significant increase of over 30% compared to the previous budget . The budget focuses on infrastructure, healthcare, education, and women’s welfare .
Key Highlights and Allocations:
- Overall Increase: The ₹1 lakh crore budget marks a substantial increase from the previous year’s budget, indicating a strong commitment to development and welfare .
- Women’s Welfare: A significant allocation of ₹5,100 crore is earmarked for the Mahila Samriddhi Scheme, providing ₹2,500 per month to eligible women .
- Infrastructure: The budget includes ₹28,000 crore for capital expenditure and ₹1,000 crore for improving road connectivity . Additionally, ₹3,800 crore is allocated for flyovers and infrastructure development .
- Water and Sanitation: A substantial ₹9,000 crore is allocated for clean water and sanitation projects . This includes the installation of GPS systems in water tankers and investments in sewage and water treatment plants .
- Healthcare: The healthcare sector receives ₹6,874 crore, with plans to establish health and wellness centers and expand the ‘Ayushman Arogya Mandir’ program . ₹2,144 crore is allocated for the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana .
- Education: The education sector receives a significant boost, with ₹100 crore allocated for ‘CM Shri schools’ . There’s also ₹750 crore proposed to provide free laptops to students who pass class 10th .
- Transport: The transport sector is allocated ₹12,952 crore for overall improvements and ₹2,929 crore for Metro development . The budget also includes plans to add 5,000 more buses to Delhi’s e-bus fleet .
- Environment: ₹300 crore is allocated for pollution control measures, with an additional ₹506 crore for the Environment & Forest Department . The government also plans to spend ₹500 crore on sewage treatment plants to clean the Yamuna River .
- Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD): The MCD receives an increased allocation of ₹10,357 crore, a 25% increase over previous estimates .
- Other Initiatives:
- 100 “Atal Canteens” will be established with a budget of ₹100 crore .
- A “Traders’ Welfare Board” will be established, and a Global Investment Summit will be organized every two years .
- An international film festival will be organized in Delhi, with a provision of ₹30 crore .
- Smart cards will replace pink tickets for women’s free bus rides .
Overall Focus:
The budget emphasizes improving the quality of life for Delhi residents through investments in essential services, infrastructure development, and social welfare programs . The focus on women’s empowerment, clean water, education, and healthcare highlights the government’s priorities for the fiscal year .
