New Delhi, March 24: A report from the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) on the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC), tabled by Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta in the Delhi Assembly on Monday, pointed out operational inefficiencies and financial losses, triggering sharp criticism of the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government.
The CAG report evaluates various aspects of DTC’s operations, including fleet management, revenue generation, operational sustainability, and adherence to public transport policies. The findings indicate several areas where the public transport system requires improvement.
BJP MLA Harish Khurana took to the floor of the Assembly to criticize the AAP government, accusing it of mismanaging the public transport system. He alleged that the mismanagement led to financial losses and a reduction in the number of buses in DTC’s fleet. According to Khurana, while AAP had promised 11,000 new buses between 2013 and 2015, the number of buses actually decreased from 4,344 in 2015 to 3,937.
Khurana also alleged that DTC was profitable under former Chief Minister Madan Lal Khurana’s leadership but faced a sharp increase in losses under the AAP administration, which surged by Rs 5,000 crore to a total of Rs 8,498.33 crore. He further highlighted a decline in operating income, from Rs 914 crore when AAP assumed power to Rs 558 crore.
Additionally, Khurana raised questions about financial irregularities, including the alleged failure of the AAP government to collect Rs 225 crore in rent from private cluster buses occupying 3.18 lakh square meters of DTC land. He also criticized the government for not procuring new buses, despite having Rs 223 crore allocated for the Delhi Transport Department in 2022.
Khurana credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for intervening and providing electric buses to Delhi, noting that 1,770 CNG buses in the fleet had exceeded their operational age but were not replaced by the AAP government.
The session coincided with the Budget proceedings, with the newly elected Chief Minister Rekha Gupta starting the session by preparing a ceremonial dish of ‘Kheer’. The BJP government, which returned to power after 27 years in the recent 2025 Delhi Legislative Assembly elections, is expected to present its first budget. The Budget Session, scheduled from March 24 to March 28, 2025, is crucial for shaping the financial governance of the National Capital Territory of Delhi.
During this session, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta will also move a motion to elect nine members each for the Committee on Public Accounts, Committee on Estimates, and Committee on Government Undertakings. The proceedings are set to address key financial and policy matters concerning Delhi.