New Delhi, March 24 – Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta presented a ₹1.03 trillion budget for FY27, announcing several welfare schemes, including free diagnostic tests for newborn babies, free bicycles for 1.3 lakh girl students, and laptops for meritorious students, as well as a new semiconductor policy, along with an "emergency operation center" for disaster management.
Presenting the budget for the second time in the Delhi Assembly, Gupta, who also holds the finance portfolio, called it a "Green Budget," highlighting that 21% of the total allocations are for initiatives for environmental protection.
The chief minister said that the national capital is progressing rapidly with a triple-engine government, noting that the city's per capita income is the third-highest in the country.
The government has allocated ₹19,326 crore for the education sector—18% of the total budget, followed by the health sector (₹13,034 crore), transport (₹12,613 crore), urban development (₹11,572 crore), social welfare (₹10,537 crore), and water supply (₹9,000 crore).
The chief minister also announced a series of measures for women and assured that the ruling BJP's pre-poll promise, "Mahila Samriddhi Yojna," will soon be implemented with an outlay of ₹5,110 crore.
Under the scheme, eligible women will be given ₹2,500 per month, the CM said, adding that a portal for registration will be launched soon.
Opposition AAP MLAs boycotted the budget presentation due to the suspension of four party legislators, prompting Speaker Vijender Gupta to criticize their decision.
Gupta announced ₹1,352 crore for developing dust-free roads, including the complete resurfacing of 750 km of roads across the city.
Highlighting road infrastructure, Gupta said ₹1,352 crore has been allocated for developing dust-free roads, including the complete resurfacing of 750 km of roads across the city.
She said that her government will set up an "Emergency Operation Center" to deal with any disaster.
The budget estimates tax revenue of ₹74,000 crore, while ₹11,666 crore has been allocated for the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).
Pointing out the challenges faced by girls in commuting to schools, Gupta announced an allocation of ₹90 crore in the budget for gifting bicycles to 1.30 lakh Class IX girl students of Delhi government schools.
Highlighting the benefits of the Ayushman Bharat Health scheme, she announced that it will now also cover transgenders and announced ₹202 crore for the scheme.
She said that the government is motivated to treat healthcare as "Upchar" (treatment) rather than "Upkar" (favor) and has earmarked ₹12,645 crore for various projects and initiatives.
The government will open 750 new Ayushman Arogya Mandirs and has allocated ₹1,500 crore for it.
Gupta announced a new scheme, ANMOL (Advanced Newborn Monitoring and Optimal Lifecare), for conducting 56 free diagnostic tests for newborn babies in the city.
A significant allocation of ₹19,148 crore has been made for the education sector, including ₹475 for the construction and extension of school buildings.
She also said that the Delhi government will open a Sainik School and requested the Centre to provide 10 Kendriya Vidyalayas in the national capital.
The chief minister announced the conversion of the entire public transport bus fleet in Delhi into electric buses by 2029, announcing ₹8,374 crore for the transport sector.
She also announced that the Delhi government will introduce a semiconductor policy and develop infrastructure for the growth of the industry in the city.
In the infrastructure sector, ₹5,921 crore has been earmarked for the Public Works Department (PWD), while urban development and shelter projects have been allocated ₹7,887 crore.
"Our aim is safe roads, climate corridors, and flawless connectivity," Gupta said.
The government allocated ₹3,942 crore for the power department, she said, adding that the government is also working on shifting overhead electricity wires underground with an outlay of ₹200 crore for this purpose.
The chief minister announced ₹300 crore for the development of the trans-Yamuna area of the city, while the Delhi Gram Vikas Board has been allocated ₹787 crore.
The city government will also build an integrated secretariat and residential complex for employees, the CM said in her budget speech.
Citing the Palam fire incident, Gupta said narrow lanes and congested unauthorized colonies make it difficult to douse fires, adding that Delhi's firefighting infrastructure will be strengthened with an allocation of ₹674 crore.
To tackle water-related issues, Gupta said new water pipeline projects are underway and ₹9,000 crore has been allocated to the Delhi Jal Board for water and sewage management.