‘Not enough funds…how can they be spent?’: Atishi slams Delhi budget, questions order capping expenditure

“If you look at statistics related to tax, there will be collections of at least Rs 5,000 crore less, Rs 10,000 crore less in loans, and the central government has not kept even a single rupee in its budget for the Delhi government,” Atishi told a press conference.

“I had personally estimated that the Delhi government’s budget is actually Rs 78,000 crore but the government’s own documents which I am going to present today will prove that its own finance department knows that it has only Rs 60,000 and not Rs 1 lakh crore or even Rs 78,000 crore,” she alleged.

Referring to a Delhi government order issued by the finance department on March 31, Atishi questioned why it had capped expenditure by various departments to 5 per cent of their total budgetary allocation for April.

Several attempts to seek the Delhi government’s response to Atishi’s allegations were unsuccessful.

“विपदा” सरकार ने ₹1 लाख करोड़ के बजट का जुमला दिया, लेकिन इनके अफसरों ने ही सरकार को एक्सपोज़ कर दिया।

31 मार्च को वित्त विभाग द्वारा जारी आदेश के अनुसार किसी भी विभाग को अप्रैल में कुल बजट का 5% से ज़्यादा खर्च करने की मनाही है।

यानी 1 महीने में “विपदा” सरकार मात्र 5000… pic.twitter.com/4VJD4TVEEM

— Atishi (@AtishiAAP) April 2, 2025

The document, which Atishi later shared on her X account, stated, “…Considering the mapping of expenditure with the resources of Government of NCT of Delhi and for better cash management, the expenditure during the month of April, 2025 is capped at 5% of the total budget allocation in BE 2025-26 under the respective budget heads.”

Expenditures to be incurred on account of salaries, allowances, and wages will be exempted, the order added.

“Administrative Secretaries/Head of the Department of the concerned department while issuing the expenditure sanction may make sure that during the month of April, 2025; the expenditure should not exceed 5% of total allocated budget under the respective heads for the financial year 2025-26,” it stated further.

The order, Atishi alleged, stated that the “hawa hawai” and “jumlon wala” budget that the Delhi government had “received on paper” was not to be spent.

“Five percent of Rs 1 lakh crore is Rs 5,000 crore, which, if spent per month, means that the budget amounts to Rs 60,000 crore…this means that the government knows that it does not have enough means for a budget over this amount,” she alleged.

“I am not saying this, the AAP is not saying this, the government’s own finance department is saying so. Today, the BJP government’s lie has been exposed by its own department …when there aren’t enough funds, how can they be spent?” she added.