New Delhi: The special meeting of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) House continued for the second consecutive day on Wednesday, with councillors deliberating on the revised budget estimates for the financial year 2025–26 and the budget proposals for 2026–27.
At the outset, the House passed a condolence resolution in memory of Smt. Sarita Phogat, Councillor from Ward No. 150 (Green Park), paying tribute to her public service.
A total of 40 councillors participated in the six-hour-long discussion, offering wide-ranging suggestions aimed at strengthening the civic body’s financial position and improving urban infrastructure. Several members described the budget as a “roadmap for Delhi’s future” and welcomed the proposal to increase local area development funds to ₹2 crore per ward in the upcoming financial year.
Councillors put forward multiple recommendations to enhance MCD’s revenue, including reforms to the signboard policy, commercial utilisation of municipal properties, monetisation through advertising in malls, and the formation of a dedicated committee to streamline the toll tax system. They also called for strict action against illegal meat shops.
Additional proposals included the installation of public urinals in wards, construction of sewage treatment plants (STPs) in parks, measures to curb the parking mafia, establishment of herbal gardens and air-conditioned community halls in each ward, enhanced provisions to address the stray dog issue, pollution control initiatives, and a special allocation for education—particularly to ensure clean drinking water in schools.
Members further suggested the recruitment and proper classification of sanitation workers and the installation of ATMs in schools and community halls as additional revenue-generating measures.
Responding to the discussion, Sardar Raja Iqbal Singh, Mayor of Delhi, thanked all councillors for their active participation and meaningful inputs. He also expressed gratitude to Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta for extending financial support to the MCD.
The Mayor emphasised that budget discussions should focus on strengthening the corporation’s financial health rather than raising ward-specific grievances. “Our goal is to make the Municipal Corporation of Delhi financially self-reliant so that we can ensure a clean and beautiful Delhi,” he said, adding that the Bharatiya Janata Party remains committed to delivering efficient civic services.
Mayor Singh confirmed that several suggestions aimed at boosting revenue would be incorporated into the final budget, reiterating that the deliberations were crucial to building a sustainable and robust municipal governance framework.
