Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta presented a ₹1 lakh crore Budget for the financial year 2025-26 on Tuesday, focusing on 10 key areas, including electricity, roads, water, and transport. Calling it a "historic Budget," she said that the days of "corruption and inefficiency" were over. She also announced that the government had doubled capital spending to ₹28,000 crore. The Budget is 31.5% higher than last year's.

"This is not just any Budget. It is the first step in rebuilding Delhi, which was neglected for the last 10 years. The previous government damaged the city’s economy like termites," said Ms Gupta, who also handles the Finance department.

A major focus of the Budget is the cleaning and rejuvenation of the Yamuna River, taking inspiration from the Sabarmati riverfront project. The government has allocated ₹500 crore for this initiative, ensuring that only treated water flows into the river by decentralizing 40 sewage treatment plants (STPs). This move aims to reduce pollution and improve the overall water quality of the Yamuna.

Also, ₹500 crore has been allocated to upgrade and repair STPs for better efficiency, while ₹250 crore will be used to replace old sewer lines. These efforts aim to restore the Yamuna and improve sanitation in Delhi. The Budget also focuses on clean drinking water and sanitation, with ₹9,000 crore set aside for related projects.

The health sector will get ₹6,874 crore to set up health and wellness centers and expand the Ayushman Arogya Mandir initiative. To improve transport in Delhi-NCR, ₹1,000 crore has been allocated. For women's welfare, ₹5,100 crore will be used to give ₹2,500 per month to eligible women. The government will also install 50,000 CCTV cameras across the city to improve women's safety.

Ms Gupta said the government wants to make Delhi a hub for investment and innovation. To support this, a new industrial policy and warehouse policy will be introduced, along with a Traders' Welfare Board. Delhi will also host its first-ever Global Investment Summit, which will take place every two years. To help small businesses, ₹50 crore has been set aside for skill development programs, including beekeeping.

The government has set aside ₹696 crore for developing slum clusters and ₹100 crore to establish 100 Atal Canteens across Delhi. Ms Gupta criticized the previous AAP government, saying, "You built 'Sheesh Mahal' for yourself, but we will build homes for the poor. You installed expensive pot toilets, while we will provide proper toilets for slum areas."

On education, she accused the AAP government of misleading people about its quality, claiming that students deliberately failed in 9th and 11th grades to make 10th and 12th results look better.

To improve the education system, the government will launch CM SHRI Schools, inspired by PM SHRI Schools and aligned with the New Education Policy. ₹100 crore has been allocated for these schools in the FY26 Budget.
The Delhi government will also provide free laptops to 1,200 students who pass Class 10, with ₹750 crore allocated for this initiative.

Ms Gupta further announced plans to set up a new education hub in the Narela area. This is the first Budget presented by a BJP-led government in Delhi in over 26 years, following its recent victory over the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in last month’s Assembly elections.

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