Presenting Delhi’s largest-ever Budget of Rs 1 lakh crore on Tuesday, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announced an allocation of Rs 5,100 crore for the Mahila Samridhi Yojana, a flagship women-centric scheme promised ahead of the elections.
Emphasizing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for women’s empowerment, she stated, “Aligning with the Prime Minister’s vision, we had pledged to provide Rs 2,500 per month to poor women in Delhi. I am delighted to announce that this Budget sets aside Rs 5,100 crore to fulfill this commitment.”
She further announced a significant increase in capital expenditure, doubling it to Rs 28,000 crore for the financial year 2025-26.
“This year, we are presenting a historic Budget of Rs 1 lakh crore for 2025-26, marking a 31.5% increase from the previous year. This is an unprecedented and landmark Budget,” CM Gupta said while presenting it on the second day of the Assembly session.
She added that the Viksit Delhi Budget would focus on infrastructure development, including roads, drainage, sewerage systems, and education.
The Chief Minister also allocated Rs 2,144 crore for the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), the Centre’s flagship healthcare scheme. The rollout of Ayushman Bharat in Delhi was a key BJP election promise, as the previous Aam Aadmi Party-led government had opted out of the initiative.
“The Delhi government has decided to provide an additional top-up of Rs 10 lakh in health insurance coverage, supplementing the existing Rs 5 lakh offered by the Government of India,” CM Gupta announced.
With this move, Delhi is set to become the 35th region to implement AB-PMJAY, the world’s largest publicly funded health insurance program.
–IANS
