Sood lauds budget in assembly

Abhinav RajputNew Delhi: Education minister Ashish Sood on Wednesday said the Delhi budget is not merely a document of numbers, but determines the direction and condition of various sectors.He was speaking in the assembly on Wednesday on the budget presented by chief minister Rekha Gupta.Sood said that while the budget under AAP stood at Rs 76,000 crore, and it increased to Rs 1,00,000 crore in 2025-26 and has reached Rs 1,03,700 crore in 2026-27, reflecting govt’s continued focus on development.He said that capital expenditure plays a crucial role in development. It increased from Rs 15,089 crore in 2024-25 to Rs 28,115 crore in 2025-26 and further to Rs 30,800 crore in 2026-27 — indicating strong infrastructure growth and long-term development.He stated that as a result of these efforts, Delhi’s GDP growth rate reached 8.53% in 2025-26, higher than the national average of 7.4%. In comparison, it was 6.2% in 2024-25, which was lower than the national average of 6.5%. Similarly, per capita income has seen an increase. The average monthly income rose from Rs 23,676 in 2024-25 to Rs 25,453 in 2025-26, marking a 7.09% growth.Sood said that the 2026–27 budget of the Rekha Gupta govt reflects this very vision and is closely aligned with public aspirations.He said that the allocation of Rs 19,148 crore — the highest share (18.64%) of the budget — demonstrates govt’s priorities.The free bicycle scheme for 1.3 lakh Class IX girls is a commendable initiative that will give new direction to girls’ education with an outlay of Rs 90 crore.