The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday termed the BJP-led Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD)’s budget, presented before the Standing Committee, as ‘hawa-hawai’ and merely on paper, rejecting the ruling party’s claims during the House discussion. Leader of Opposition (LoP) Ankush Narang said that despite provisions, scholarship spending in 2024–25 remained zero, only 4.26 lakh municipal school students received funds for uniforms and stationery, leaving nearly two and a half lakh excluded, and questioned claims of civic success as dog bite incidents continue despite sterilisation drives, Ayushman Arogya Mandirs lack basic facilities, and Delhiites remain burdened by expensive parking and arbitrary collections.
During the discussion on the budget presented by the MCD Commissioner before the Standing Committee, MCD House LoP Ankush Narang stated, “This budget has remained nothing more than a paper exercise. Despite provisions in 2024–25, expenditure on student scholarships remained zero, while provisions of ₹50 crore have again been made for 2025–26 and 2026–27. For girls’ scholarships, a provision of ₹100 crore exists, but not a single rupee was spent last year. Municipal schools have 6.58 lakh students, yet only 4.26 lakh students have received amounts for uniforms, stationery and school bags through Direct Benefit Transfer. Nearly two and a half lakh children are still deprived.”
Referring to infrastructure announcements, he continued, “Waste-to-Energy plants appear to be more about announcements and less about outcomes. The Commissioner has spoken about increasing capacity at Waste-to-Energy plants in Narela-Bawana, Okhla and Ghazipur, but how many of the plants whose foundation stones were laid have actually become operational? Even after sending 6,374 cattle to ‘gaushala(s)’, stray animals continue to roam freely on roads and cause accidents regularly. Sterilisation and vaccination of 54,623 stray dogs is being described as an achievement, yet dog bite incidents continue.”
Highlighting gaps in public services, the MCD House LoP added, “In 53 Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, regular doctors, medicines and diagnostic facilities are still unavailable, and healthcare will not become robust merely by installing boards. Even today, people are running from office to office for birth and death registration. In four zones, ₹592 crore will be spent on the operation and maintenance of 3.97 lakh street lights, yet despite such expenditure, street lights remain non functional for months in many residential areas, colonies and lanes.”
Pointing to parking policies, he continued, “People of Delhi continue to suffer due to expensive parking and arbitrary collections. Whether it is the shuttle type parking for 399 cars built at a cost of ₹63.74 crore in M Block, Greater Kailash, or the multi level parking with a capacity of 255 cars built at a cost of ₹31.09 crore at the Punjabi Bagh cremation ground, traffic congestion and illegal parking on roads have not reduced. Similarly, in industrial and redevelopment areas, the system of automatic downloading of factory licences by imposing an additional 5 percent charge on property tax is being presented as a reform, but when the process is being simplified and digitised, why has a new fee been added along with it?”
Addressing employee welfare, Ankush Narang said, “Depositing salaries and pensions into employees’ accounts on the first day of every month is not an achievement but a basic responsibility of the corporation. In previous years, repeated delays in salaries and pensions caused employees severe mental and financial distress. Our demand is that an independent audit report on the overall financial condition of the corporation be placed before the Standing Committee, and a detailed account of the completeness, errors and effectiveness of the double entry system be presented.”
Raising concerns over revenue collection and administration, he stated, “Even today, the property tax department is struggling with disorder, inequality and administrative failures. A claim has been made of ₹2,269.51 crore in tax collection and a 30 percent increase by 30 September 2025, and the corporation must clarify how much of this increase has come from new taxpayers and how much from forced recovery from existing taxpayers. Even now, people are unable to access information regarding approved layout plans, building bylaws, the list of third party inspectors and the approval process. Our demand is that all online systems and policies of the building department be subjected to an independent review.”
