New Delhi: The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) will kick off its Budget discussions for the 2025-26 fiscal year on March 3, with Leader of the Opposition, Raja Iqbal Singh, leading the debate. The MCD will also revisit the revised Budget for 2024-25 during the deliberations, which are set to conclude with the final approval on March 19.
According to the MCD’s schedule notice, Raja Iqbal Singh, a BJP councillor and Leader of Opposition in MCD, will initiate the debate by presenting key points, followed by two additional House sessions. All councillors are expected to participate, as no statutory or ad hoc committees, including those for education and health, have been formed yet.
An official explained the significance of this, stating, “Typically, after the proposed Budget is tabled by the commissioner in the standing committee, it is then sent to the statutory or ad hoc committees for further discussion and possible amendments. However, for the last two years, the process has shifted. With no committees in place, discussions are now solely held in the House meeting.”
On March 10, Congress leader Nazia Danish will present the budget, which will be followed by a general discussion. This discussion will continue through March 12. Once the general debate concludes, the budget estimates will be adopted on March 12, and final approval will be made by Leader of the House, Mukesh Goyal, on March 19.
Councillors will have until March 10 to submit their cut motions—suggestions for modifying the budget proposals. These motions will be shared with members in advance.
“Amendments to the budget will be considered only if the final balance sheet (income and expenditure) remains unaffected,” noted
an official.
This year, there is potential for amendments to be incorporated through a voting process by the councillors.
The MCD’s composition, with 114 AAP councillors and 116 BJP councillors in the 250-member House, means that any proposed amendments could undergo voting.
The remaining eight seats are occupied by Congress councillors, with 12 seats vacant due to the victory of previous councillors in assembly or parliamentary elections.
A significant aspect of the upcoming discussions is the structure of the mayoral position. As per the Delhi Municipal Corporation (DMC) Act, the mayor, once elected at the start of the financial year, remains in office for the duration of the year, even if their party loses the majority. The official clarified, “Although AAP doesn’t hold the majority, their mayor and leader of the House will serve until the end of March. However, if two or three councillors from different parties call for a vote on any resolution, it will be conducted.”
Earlier in February, MCD Commissioner Ashwani Kumar presented a budget of Rs 17,002.6 crore for the 2025-26 fiscal year, marking a modest increase of 1.9 per cent from the previous year.
Despite property tax rates remaining unchanged for the second consecutive year, property tax revenues exceeded the previous year’s collections by Rs 215 crore as of January 31, though the total collection fell short of the target.