On Monday, the Delhi Assembly moved towards digital efficiency by distributing iPads to legislators and making the Budget 2025-26 documents available through the Delhi Budget app.

“I wish to inform all members that all documents related to the Budget will be made available on the Delhi Budget App. For this, all members will be provided new iPads, which can be collected during the lunch break,” conveyed Speaker Vijendra Gupta.

The announcement was met with applause from the members, who appreciated the initiative. Speaker Gupta added that MLAs could access the Budget documents through the Budget App, which is also available for download on the Play Store for smartphones.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta presented a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report on the financial performance of the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) for 2024. Copies of the report were distributed to members for discussion in the House. The CAG report highlighted DTC’s growing financial losses, attributing them to a decade of providing free rides to women while struggling to replace ageing and polluting buses with electric ones.

The report revealed that the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) faced a sharp increase in losses, rising by ₹35,000 crore from ₹25,300 crore in 2015-16 to nearly ₹60,750 crore in 2021-22.

The audit highlighted the corporation’s inability to control financial losses, generate profits and upgrade its fare collection and security systems. The main findings from the Performance Audit Report on DTC’s operations included the lack of a Business or Perspective Plan, delays in procuring new buses despite an ageing fleet, low fleet utilisation and productivity, poor route planning, a non-functional Automatic Fare Collection System, and failure to recover dues.

The report highlighted a decline in the DTC fleet, which dropped from 4,344 buses in 2015-16 to 3,937 in 2022-23. Despite having funds from the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi, the corporation added only 300 electric buses in 2021-22 and 2022-23. Delays in expanding the electric bus fleet were noted, and a penalty of ₹29.86 crore for late delivery was not enforced on the operators.

The report also pointed out a sharp rise in ageing low-floor buses. In 2015-16, only 0.13 per cent of the fleet, or five buses, were overage. This increased to 17.44 per cent (656 buses) in 2021-22 and surged to 44.96 per cent (1,770 buses) by March 31, 2023. The report warned that this number will keep rising unless the corporation procures new buses.

These critical findings from the CAG come as Delhi Transport Minister Pankaj Singh has announced a phased rollout of 2,000 electric buses starting April 1. Singh criticised the previous AAP government for its mismanagement and pledged to make the DTC profitable while addressing its current losses of ₹235 crore.