Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta launched a sharp attack on the former government during her address in the Delhi Legislative Assembly today. She accused the previous administration of deceiving the public by portraying free schemes as if they were offering them from their own pockets, when in reality, the money used belonged to the people.
“The public had hoped that their tax money would be used for building roads, schools, and hospitals. Instead, their hard-earned income was diverted towards so-called free schemes,” the Chief Minister stated. She further added that the former government deliberately neglected development works and focused entirely on publicity and propaganda.
CM Rekha Gupta also pointed out that the reason the previous regime avoided implementing several key development schemes was because they were associated with the Prime Minister. “Such was the extent of their malice,” she remarked.
The Chief Minister concluded by demanding that the findings of the CAG report be handed over to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) for a thorough investigation.
While speaking in the Delhi Legislative Assembly on the CAG report (pertaining to the financial accounts and appropriation accounts of the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi for the year 2023–24), Chief Minister Rekha Gupta held the previous government (now in opposition) firmly accountable, presenting detailed remarks. She stated that the CAG report exposes the mismanagement and lack of intent to work on the part of the previous administration.
The Chief Minister said she had already anticipated that once the CAG report was tabled, the opposition would either walk out of the House or try to shift the entire blame onto the Central Government. They would claim that they received neither financial assistance nor grants from the Centre. However, the truth is that the Central Government had provided a grant of Rs 4,800 crore to Delhi.
The Chief Minister stressed the need to understand how this amount was utilised: Rs 463 crore was spent on water supply, Rs 482 crore on free bus services, and Rs 3,250 crore on the free electricity scheme. In this way, the entire grant was consumed by so-called freebie schemes.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, while continuing her remarks in the Delhi Legislative Assembly on the CAG report, further stated that the opposition had portrayed these free schemes as if they were offering them from their own pockets, whereas in reality, all the money belonged to the public. Referring to the CAG report, the Chief Minister said that the entire revenue of the previous government was consumed by expenses—salaries, interest payments, and other such expenditures that do not create any permanent assets.
She pointed out that in the financial year 2022–23, the Delhi Government had a revenue surplus of Rs 4,566 crore, but the entire amount was spent. As a result, in 2023–24, the government fell into a deficit of Rs 3,934 crore. Together, the deficit over these two years amounted to nearly Rs 8,600 crore.
The Chief Minister also revealed that there was a 50% decline in public health expenditure, and the 24 hospitals whose foundations had been laid remained incomplete to this day. Sectors like education and sports saw a 42% cut, while road construction and public works witnessed a reduction of up to 40%. She called this a clear sign of neglect towards public welfare and a misuse of resources.
Launching a scathing attack on the previous government, the Chief Minister said that developmental projects were deliberately ignored, and all the focus was placed on publicity. She noted that not a single new flyover was constructed, nor was any major road project completed. The urban development budget was slashed by 36%. As a result, revenue continued to fall, expenditure kept rising, and ultimately, the people of Delhi were betrayed—there was no development of roads, schools, or hospitals.
She bluntly stated that despite receiving substantial funding from the Central Government, the state government did not deliver any concrete results and is now shirking accountability. She added that the Centre consistently provided budgetary support to Delhi for development projects, but as of 31 March 2024, Rs 842 crore remained unspent. The Central Government had also allocated an additional Rs 2,400 crore specifically for building hospitals and Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, but not a single rupee was spent on the public. The Chief Minister questioned whether the funds remained unused merely because the scheme included the word “Prime Minister” in its name.
She went on to say that the Central Government had also released funds for schemes such as the Affordable Housing Scheme, National AYUSH Mission, PM Vishwakarma Yojana, PM SHRI School Scheme, and PM SVANidhi Scheme. However, the Delhi Government neither utilised these funds nor allowed them to reach the public. As a result, the Centre had to directly reach out to the beneficiaries.
Moreover, despite receiving a grant of Rs 3,760 crore, the Delhi Government failed to submit the required Utilisation Certificate. In metro projects, both the Centre and the State are expected to contribute equally, yet the Delhi Government never released its share—even after being reprimanded by the court. In projects under the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) too, the Delhi Government failed to provide its due support.
The Chief Minister emphasised that this money was meant for public welfare but was grossly misused. She alleged that whenever questions are raised about public funds, the previous government reacts with visible agitation. Highlighting the condition of hospitals as a clear example of this mismanagement, she revealed that 24 hospitals, with an initial estimated cost of Rs 3,427 crore, were left incomplete. Due to construction delays, the cost has now risen by an additional Rs 2,700 crore.
She reiterated that the Central Government had released funds for a number of schemes—such as PM SHRI Schools, PM Vishwakarma Yojana, PM SVANidhi Scheme, the AMRUT Yojana, and Yamuna cleaning—but the state government neither implemented them nor allowed the benefits to reach the citizens.
Concluding her address, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta formally requested that the CAG report be referred to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) for a comprehensive investigation, so that the public may know how their money was truly spent.
