New Delhi: The budget session of Delhi Assembly is likely to start on March 16 during which chief minister Rekha Gupta is expected to present the budget for 2026-27, officials aware of the development said.
The date on which the CM will present the budget is not yet finalised. “The budget session may be convened on March 16. The schedule will be declared when it is finalised,” an official said. The chief minister is holding a series of review meetings with ministers and senior officials on the budget. After conducting departmental discussions with cabinet colleagues ahead of Holi, Gupta has now started consultations with bureaucrats to fine-tune allocations and priorities.
Meetings with officials from the finance department took place on Monday as part of the process to finalise the budget. Govt is likely to focus more on strengthening infrastructure and improving public services across the capital. Key areas that are expected to receive attention include road development, water supply systems, and civic infrastructure upgrade, besides Yamuna cleaning. Officials said govt is likely to prioritise the replacement of ageing water pipelines to reduce leakage and increase supply in view of Delhi’s rising water demand.
Govt may also include in the budget plans for the expansion of the sewerage network and the construction of sewage treatment plants to improve sanitation and wastewater management. Education is expected to be another major focus area in the budget. Officials said govt may increase spending in the education sector and announce measures to expand the network of CM Shri schools, enhance smart classroom facilities, and introduce additional support for meritorious students.
The budget could also include provisions for building new schools and strengthening facilities such as libraries and laboratories.
Apart from infrastructure and education, public transport and pollution control measures are also likely to get large allocation in the budget. Govt may allocate additional funds to increase the number of buses in the city to help reduce vehicular pollution. It wants to induct more buses to take the total number of electric buses to 7,000 by the end of 2026 as part of efforts to strengthen the city’s public transport fleet.
Govt is also expected to earmark funds for the ongoing expansion of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation network, including works under Delhi Metro Phase IV and Phase V(A). In the previous budget, around 20% of the total outlay was allocated to the transport sector, and officials said it could further increase in 2026-27.
