New Delhi: Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has assured Delhi’s business community that the upcoming Viksit Delhi Budget 2025-26 will focus on resolving long-standing issues faced by traders and industries. Speaking to the media after a meeting with business leaders on Thursday, Gupta criticised the previous government’s handling of economic policies and promised to introduce reforms that promote growth and ease of doing business.
“The previous governments indulged only in publicising painful issues, but I will resolve them,” she said, vowing to address grievances that have accumulated over the years.
As part of the budget consultation process, Gupta invited representatives from various trade and industrial organisations to gather their insights. She acknowledged that traders and industrialists had suffered due to inefficient governance, impractical policies, and bureaucratic challenges.
“I received many valuable suggestions, and from what I have understood, years of past governments’ rule have caused deep pain and hardships to them,” she stated, highlighting that the business community was particularly dissatisfied with a lack of infrastructural development and bureaucratic inefficiencies.
One of the key concerns raised during the discussions was the poor state of roads and drainage in industrial
areas and markets. Business owners from major commercial hubs like Chandni Chowk, Karol Bagh, and Lajpat Nagar also pointed out the lack of basic sanitation facilities, including an inadequate number of public toilets.
BJP MLA Anil Goyal, who participated in the discussions, emphasised the need for immediate intervention to retain businesses in Delhi. “The businessmen have given suggestions for their budget. These suggestions are aimed at developing Delhi. Due to drainage issues, 70 percent of the business sector has moved out of Delhi,” he noted, underscoring the urgent requirement for improved civic infrastructure.
Other pressing issues discussed included reducing surcharges, lowering power tariffs, ensuring regular water supply, and improving sanitation facilities in commercial areas.
Gupta reassured traders that her government would prioritise infrastructure development while also putting an end
to bureaucratic harassment.
“The Chief Minister assured businessmen of improvement in infrastructure and guaranteed that high-handedness or harassment by officials would also be ended,” Goyal added.
A day earlier, Gupta had engaged in a similar dialogue with women from across the city to seek their opinions on various policies, including financial assistance, security, sanitation, education, and their role in governance.
She reiterated her commitment to implementing the BJP’s promise of providing Rs 2,500 per month to women, dismissing criticism from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) regarding the scheme’s launch. “The BJP government is committed to delivering the monthly Rs 2,500 each to women,” she said, accusing the AAP of attempting to build pressure against the initiative, which is set to roll out on March 8.
With the Viksit Delhi Budget 2025-26 set to be unveiled later this month, Gupta’s emphasis on business-friendly policies and social welfare measures signals a shift towards addressing both economic and social concerns in the capital.