Budget marks break from colonial legacy, boosts Delhi Police with Rs 12,846 crore: Ashish Sood

Commending major allocations for education, infrastructure and law enforcement, Delhi Home Minister Ashish Sood on Friday said the Union Budget 2026-27 also marks a shift from colonial practices, having been prepared for the first time at Kartavya Bhavan, where the finance ministry relocated to from its earlier office at the British-era North Block.

Addressing a press conference here, Sood said the budget has allocated Rs 12,846 crore for Delhi Police, while capital expenditure had been raised to Rs 12.20 lakh crore to boost urban development, road connectivity and public infrastructure across the country.

He said the Centre’s focus on education is reflected in plans to develop five university townships along industrial and logistic corridors, complementing the Delhi government’s Narela education city project spread over 160 acres.

“This will be developed as a large-scale education hub aimed at strengthening higher education and skill development,” Sood said.

“This year marks another step in shedding colonial symbols. For the first time, the Budget was prepared at Kartavya Bhavan,” he said.

Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks in the Rajya Sabha, Sood highlighted India’s economic recovery, saying the country had been among the “fragile five” economies in 2014 despite its size, but had since emerged as a strong entity under the current leadership despite global disruptions.

On law enforcement, Sood said the Delhi Police allocation included Rs 986 crore for capital expenditure and Rs 11,881 crore for operational requirements.

He said the funds would be used for an AI-based smart traffic management system, facial recognition technology, expansion of CCTV coverage and improved coordination among police units.

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The minister also welcomed the Rs 5.01-lakh crore allocation for women-led development, which accounts for 9.37 per cent of the total budget.

Calling the budget growth-oriented and inclusive, Sood said increased investment in infrastructure would help create jobs and strengthen economic confidence.

“This Budget reflects the vision of Antyodaya to Sarvodaya — focusing on the poorest while building a stronger future for the nation,” he added.