Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta presented the FY26 Budget outlining ten focus areas, including cleaning Yamuna, economic empowerment of women, infrastructure development, electricity, roads, and water. Describing it as a “historic budget,” CM Gupta emphasized that it serves as a blueprint to make the national capital “Atmanirbhar” (self-reliant). The first budget of the newly-formed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government in the national capital, amounting to a record ₹1 lakh crore, reflects a significant 31.5% increase from the previous year.
“This is not an ordinary Budget, this Budget is the first step to develop Delhi which was ruined in the past 10 years. Delhi went down in every aspect of development in the past decade.” she said.
Among the major announcements, ₹2,144 crore has been allocated for the PM Jan Arogya Yojana, while ₹5,100 crore will fund the Mahila Samridhi Yojana, which provides ₹2,500 per month to eligible women. To improve connectivity in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR), ₹1,000 crore has been set aside, with ₹3,843 crore allocated for road and bridge infrastructure. The government will also install 50,000 CCTV cameras across the city to enhance women’s safety. Additionally, ₹100 crore will be used to establish 100 Atal Canteens to provide affordable meals, and ₹696 crore has been reserved for developing slum clusters and JJ colonies.
A significant portion of the budget—₹9,000 crore—has been allocated for clean drinking water and sanitation. This includes ₹500 crore for repairing and upgrading sewer treatment plants (STPs) and ₹250 crore to replace old sewer lines. The long-standing issue of cleaning the Yamuna River will receive ₹500 crore, with plans to ensure only treated water enters the river through the decentralization of 40 STPs. In the education sector, ₹100 crore has been allocated to open new “CM Shri Schools,” inspired by the PM Shri Schools, while ₹750 crore will provide free laptops to 1,200 students passing Class 10.
Other key allocations include ₹210 crore for expecting mothers, offering nutrient kits and an allowance of ₹21,000. The transport sector has received ₹12,952 crore, and the government will replace pink tickets with special cards to provide free bus rides for women and curb corruption. A ₹100 crore pilot project will focus on removing overhead electrical lines and shifting high-tension power lines underground. To combat pollution, ₹300 crore has been allocated, with an additional ₹506 crore designated for the environment and forest department. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has been granted ₹6,897 crore, and the government plans to construct a new jail on the city’s outskirts to ease congestion at Tihar Jail. In a cultural initiative, ₹30 crore has been set aside to host an International Film Festival in the capital.
