CM Rekha Gupta tables Rs 1 lakh crore 'Viksit Delhi' budget

New Delhi:Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta presented the first budget of the newly elected BJP government in the capital on Tuesday. Terming the Budget 2025-26 as historic, the Chief Minister announced Rs 1 lakh crore Budget, which is the largest budget in the history of the national capital.

Addressing the Assembly, CM Gupta described the 2025-26 Budget as a landmark moment, emphasizing that it goes beyond mere government expenditure. “This is a historic day. The people of Delhi and the country are keenly watching how a government elected with a massive mandate will shape the city’s future through its first Budget,” she said.

She highlighted that the Budget aims to transform Delhi’s trajectory and align it with the vision of a “Viksit Delhi,” blending the city's rich heritage with a promising future. Drawing from the philosophies of Dr B.R. Ambedkar, Mahatma Gandhi, and Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay, the Budget also reflects Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, and Sabka Prayas.’

Criticizing the previous AAP-led government, the Chief Minister said the last decade saw Delhi regress in several aspects, citing deteriorating roads, an inadequate drainage system, and rising pollution levels. She blamed the previous administration for mismanagement, likening it to a “termite” that weakened the capital’s economy. Institutions such as the Delhi Jal Board and the Delhi Transport Corporation, she claimed, had suffered severe financial losses under its tenure.

Acknowledging the challenges ahead, CM Gupta reiterated the government’s commitment to overcoming them. Earlier in the day, she remarked that the BJP’s return to power in Delhi after 27 years was reminiscent of Lord Ram’s return to Ayodhya after 14 years of exile, asserting that the new government was determined to restore Delhi’s lost glory under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi.

With IANS inputs