Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta is set to present the first-ever budget of the BJP-led government in the Delhi Assembly on Tuesday.

The much-anticipated budget for the financial year 2025-26 is expected to align with the BJP’s election manifesto and the promises made to the people of Delhi during the recent elections.

The five-day budget session, which began on March 24, was inaugurated with a traditional kheer ceremony at 11 a.m. on Monday.

Addressing the occasion, Chief Minister Gupta said, “Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP is presenting the Delhi Budget after 27 years. Just as Lord Ram returned to Ayodhya after 14 years of exile, we are returning after 27 years.”

On the first day of the session, Gupta also tabled a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report in the House, highlighting the deteriorating financial condition of the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC).

The report, covering the period up to 2024, revealed that DTC’s losses had surged by Rs 35,000 crore over the past six years. It noted that the losses rose from Rs 25,300 crore in 2015-16 to a staggering Rs 60,750 crore in 2021-22.

The findings triggered sharp criticism from the opposition, leading to a walkout as members demanded that all 14 CAG reports be presented together for discussion in the House.

Debates on the CAG reports are expected to continue in the coming days, focusing on the financial health of key public sector entities in the city.

This budget session marks the second for the newly-formed BJP government, following an earlier session held between February 24 and March 3 this year.

–IANS