Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announced an allocation of Rs 100 crore for a pilot project of shifting overhead electricity cables in the 2025-26 budget, even as she emphasised on making the national capital self-reliant in terms of energy. In her maiden budget presentation in the Delhi Assembly, Gupta said that the government has allocated Rs 3,847 Crore for the city government’s power department. The previous AAP government had allocated Rs 3,353 Crore for the department in the 2024-25 Budget. This is the first budget presented by a BJP-led government in Delhi in over 26 years, following the party’s victory over the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in last month’s assembly elections.

During her budget speech, Gupta stressed on how overhead electricity wires not only deface the beauty of the city but are also risky from the security point of view. “My government has proposed ‘shifting of HT/LT transmission lines’ scheme, for which a budget of Rs 100 Crore has been allocated.

“Under this scheme, all overhead cables will be laid underground, making Delhi more secure, cleaner and modern city,” she said. Gupta said the Delhi government is committed to providing uninterrupted and affordable electricity to every citizen of the capital.  “This budget is an important step towards making Delhi self-reliant in the field of energy and a clean future. In this regard, a budget of Rs 3,847 Crore has been allocated to the Power Department for various schemes and projects,” she said. While talking about the priorities of her government, she said it aims to provide 24-hour uninterrupted electricity to every citizen of Delhi.

To meet the increasing demand for electricity and support the economic growth of the capital, it is necessary to increase domestic power generation from clean or renewable energy

sources, she said. The Delhi government is in the process of signing an agreement with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy of the central government to implement the ‘PM Surya Ghar: Free Electricity Scheme’ in Delhi, she shared.

“Under this scheme, a subsidy of up to Rs 78,000 will be provided to the residential consumers of Delhi. To make this initiative more effective, my government is proposing a new scheme called ‘PM Surya Ghar: Free Electricity Scheme - State Top Up, for which a budget of Rs 50 Crore has been allocated. Under this scheme, 2.3 lakh residential rooftops will be equipped with solar energy in the next three years,” she said.

Laying the roadmap for the power sector, she said Delhi is now on its way to becoming an energy-smart city, where every home will be illuminated, every industry will flourish and the future will be brightened by green energy.