The BJP-led Delhi government is set to present its Budget for the 2025-26 financial year, marking its first budget in 26 years in the national capital. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, who also serves as the Finance Minister, will present the Budget today. Before the session, she is scheduled to visit the Hanuman Temple in Connaught Place, following which she will proceed to the Delhi Secretariat for a Cabinet meeting.

Unlike the previous government under former CM Arvind Kejriwal, where Cabinet meetings were held at the Assembly, these meetings will now take place at the Delhi Secretariat. After the meeting, Gupta will head to the Vidhan Sabha to present the budget. This Budget Session holds particular significance as it follows the recent 2025 Delhi Legislative Assembly election, in which the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) regained power after 27 years.

On Monday, CM Rekha Gupta tabled a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report in the Assembly, highlighting operational inefficiencies and financial losses in the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC). The report criticized the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, citing issues in fleet management, revenue generation, and operational sustainability. Following the report’s release, BJP MLA Harish Khurana accused the AAP government of mishandling the public transport system, leading to financial losses and a decline in the DTC bus fleet. He pointed out that while AAP had promised 11,000 new buses between 2013 and 2015, the number of DTC buses decreased from 4,344 in 2015 to 3,937.

Khurana further alleged that during former CM Madan Lal Khurana’s tenure, DTC was profitable, but under AAP, its losses soared to ₹8,498.33 crore, increasing by ₹5,000 crore. He also highlighted a decline in operating income, which fell from ₹914 crore when AAP took office to ₹558 crore. Additionally, he raised concerns over financial irregularities, questioning why the AAP government allotted 3.18 lakh square meters of DTC land to private cluster buses without collecting ₹225 crore in rent.

He also criticized AAP for failing to procure new buses despite having ₹223 crore allocated for the Delhi Transport Department in 2022. Khurana credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention for introducing electric buses in Delhi, noting that 1,770 CNG buses had exceeded their operational life but were not replaced by the AAP administration. The Delhi Legislative Assembly commenced its Budget Session on Monday, with CM Gupta preparing the ceremonial ‘Kheer’ ahead of proceedings. The session is expected to run from March 24 to March 28, 2025, with the possibility of an extension if needed.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from PTI.