NEW DELHI:The Delhi Budget for 2026-27 was presented in the Delhi Legislative Assembly on Tuesday by chief minister and finance minister Rekha Gupta, who announced Rs 260 crore to provide every household a free LPG cylinder on Holi and Diwali as part of the government’s social welfare initiatives.Highlighting allocations for social empowerment, CM Gupta said Rs 7,406 crore has been earmarked for women and child development. Key schemes include Rs 5,110 crore for the Mahila Samriddhi Yojana, Rs 450 crore for free bus travel for women and transgender persons, Rs 260 crore for free LPG cylinders, and Rs 128 crore for the “Lakhpati Beti Yojana.”In the health sector, Rs 12,645 crore has been allocated, including Rs 150 crore for ICU and hospital projects, Rs 787 crore for medicines and equipment, and Rs 202 crore for the expansion of the Ayushman scheme. The budget also plans to establish over 750 new health centers and allocate Rs 25 crore for the ANMOL scheme for newborn screening.The education sector has received Rs 19,148 crore, with Rs 200 crore for new school buildings and Rs 275 crore for school expansion. Other initiatives include Rs 90 crore for bicycles for girl students, Rs 10 crore for laptops for meritorious students, Rs 150 crore for smart classrooms, and Rs 720 crore for technical education.The transport sector has been allocated Rs 8,374 crore, including plans to introduce 6,130 new electric buses, targeting 7,500 buses by 2027. Metro expansion has received Rs 2,885 crore, while Rs 200 crore has been set aside for the EV policy.For environmental initiatives, Rs 130 crore has been allocated to develop new forest areas, forming part of a “green budget” to fulfill the commitment of a greener Delhi, CM Gupta added.
