MCD unveils 2026-27 budget with sanitation focus, no new taxes

Municipal Commissioner Ashwani Kumar on Friday presented the civic body’s budget of Rs 16,530.50 crore for 2026-27, with sanitation receiving the highest allocation — Rs 4,795.28 crore — among major sectors. He highlighted that there were no new tax proposals and efforts will be made to strengthen the collection of existing taxes, also announcing plans to develop 20 new multi-level parking facilities across the city.

The highest allocation of Rs 4,795.28 crore has been granted to sanitation, while education received Rs 2,520.34 crore. The budget for public health and medical aid has been pegged at Rs 1,905.60 crore.

The commissioner said education has been allocated around 15 per cent of the total budget, making it the second-highest allocation after sanitation, while health stands third with nearly 12 per cent.

Public works and street lighting have been allocated Rs 1,884.44 crore to improve road infrastructure and illumination across the capital, while general administration has been allotted Rs 3,549.63 crore.

The horticulture department received Rs 397.90 crore, while veterinary services were allocated Rs 131.06 crore.

The total budget outlay for 2026-27 stands at Rs 16,530.50 crore, compared to Rs 17,011.91 crore in the previous financial year.

After presenting the Revised Budget Estimates for 2025-26 and the Budget Estimates for 2026-27 at a special meeting of the Standing Committee, Kumar told reporters that the main focus would remain on cleanliness.

He reiterated that no new taxes are being proposed, and existing tax rates will remain unchanged.  “If we strengthen tax collection, we can manage without increasing taxes,” he said, adding that incentive schemes would be introduced to encourage people to pay taxes, which would help increase the number of taxpayers.

The commissioner further said the civic body’s total liability as on November 26, 2025, stood at Rs 15,791.88 crore, which includes establishment costs, contractor payments and loan repayments.

On dog shelters, he said the Dwarka Sector-29 facility is already under development, while two more facilities, at Bella Road and Bijwasan, are in the planning stage. According to official data, the civic body has so far sterilised and immunised 54,623 stray dogs under the ongoing Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme. For housing aggressive, ferocious and rabies-infected dogs, the civic body has identified a three-acre plot in Dwarka, where 1,000-1,500 dogs are expected to be accommodated, an official said, adding that the two remaining shelters will be developed in upcoming phases.

He also noted that existing cow shelters in the city are full and the government is planning to establish more to shift stray cattle. Kumar also said proposals are being prepared for the development of 20 new multi-level parking facilities across the city in the coming years.

The budget also highlighted major achievements of the civic body, including laying of the foundation stone for a 3,000-tonnes-per-day (TPD) waste-to-energy plant at Narela-Bawana and the expansion of the Okhla waste-to-energy facility from 1,950 TPD to 2,950 TPD.

It also included the inauguration of a 200 TPD biogas plant at Nangli Dairy on September 20, 2025, and a 100 TPD compressed biogas plant at Ghoga Dairy in association with Indraprastha Gas Limited on September 26, 2025. The civic body further stated that tenders have been floated for fresh waste disposal processing units, including a minimum-1,800 TPD facility at Bhalswa landfill on 12 acres of reclaimed land, for 700 TPD at Shinghola on 6.61 acres, for 1,400 TPD at Okhla on 10 acres, and 1,200 TPD at Bawana on 10 acres.

Reacting to the budget, Indraprastha Vikas Party leader and senior MCD councillor Mukesh Goyal termed it incomplete. In a statement, he said not imposing any new tax and retaining existing tax rates was a welcome step, but expressed disappointment that no provision had been made for development works in the wards of municipal councillors.

He said development works have been stalled for the past three years and citizens are not getting basic amenities, with sanitation and roads in poor condition. “In such a situation, the municipal commissioner’s budget is incomplete,” he said.