NEW DELHI: The five-day Budget session of the Delhi assembly began on Monday with Chief Minister Rekha Gupta initiating a new tradition, the ‘Kheer’ ceremony, prior to the budget presentation. This marked the first time such a ceremony was held in the Vidhan Sabha ahead of the budget. Leader of Opposition (LoP) and former Chief Minister Atishi, however, criticised the BJP-led Delhi government for not presenting the Economic Survey before the budget.
“Delhi’s budget cannot be formed by making ‘kheer’, but on the figures of the economy,” she said, taking a jibe at the BJP’s ceremonial gesture. CM Rekha Gupta said earlier in the assembly that the economic survey would be tabled soon as audits in various departments were still ongoing.
Delhi Minister for Food & Supplies, Industry, Forest & Environment, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, responded by accusing the AAP of mismanagement, stating, “They have looted everything and that’s why a white paper should be presented on whatever they have done.”
Atishi questioned the government’s ability to prepare an effective budget without a detailed financial review. “In Parliament, an Economic Survey is always presented before the budget, providing key data on a state or country’s financial health. This has been the practice in Delhi as well. How can a budget be prepared without an Economic Survey? I have not seen this happen in the past ten years,” she said at a press conference.
Atishi dismissed the government’s justification that the survey’s delay was due to pending CAG reports, calling it an excuse to hide the survey’s contents. “Has the CM even read it?” she asked.
Meanwhile, CM Gupta called the ‘Kheer’ ceremony, a symbol of sweetness of Delhi’s development. “Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP is presenting the Delhi budget after 27 years. Just as Lord Ram returned to Ayodhya after 14 years of exile, we are returning after 27 years. To mark this occasion, we offered ‘kheer’ to Lord Ram, symbolising the sweetness of Delhi’s development,” Gupta said.