NEW DELHI: The Delhi government has initiated the process of Budget preparation for the next financial year and has revised estimates of the current fiscal year. It has also directed all departments to furnish the proposals by mid-October, officials said on Thursday.
The finance department has issued detailed guidelines to the departments for furnishing Revised Estimates (RE) for 2026-27 and Budget Estimates (BE) for 2027-28 in prescribed proformas as per the General Financial Rules, 2017.
The estimates are scheduled to be submitted by October 12 to the finance department.
A set of budget proposals relating to schemes, programmes or projects may also be sent to the director (planning) of the government. The pre-budget/RE meetings will start from the last week of October 2026, for which the dates and time will be communicated separately, said a circular issued by the finance department.
The departments will ensure that the RE and the BE submitted by them are formulated, taking a realistic assessment of the requirement of funds which can be utilised by them during the financial year.
There have been instances when supplementary demands for grants were taken by the departments, but the actual expenditure incurred was less than the original budget estimates for the financial year.
Audit has also pointed out unnecessary supplementary/re-appropriation without realistic assessment of the budget, the circular read. The departments have been instructed to ensure that the entire projected funds in the estimates are realistic and utilised during the given financial year, it said.
It was also pointed out that the re-appropriation of funds was taken by the departments which were able to utilise even their original budget estimates. There were also cases where the actual expenditure at the close of the financial year was found either in excess or short of budget provision, it added.
The departments have also been directed to get their budget proposals examined by their integrated financial advisors before submitting them to the finance department.