Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has disclosed staggering financial losses at the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC), equating them to the entire budget of the national capital, while announcing a major operational shift aimed at revival.
Staggering Losses Comparable to Delhi's Budget
Addressing a gathering of BJP workers in Northwest Delhi's Rohini on Saturday, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta stated that the DTC's accumulated losses have ballooned to a colossal Rs 97,000 crore. To put this figure into perspective, she highlighted that the annual budget of Delhi is approximately Rs 1 lakh crore, meaning the public transporter's deficit is nearly as large as the city's entire yearly financial plan.
Blame on Previous AAP Government and a New Direction
In her address, CM Gupta placed the blame for the crisis squarely on the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government. She accused them of collapsing the public transportation system over their decade-long tenure. "They handed over the entire operations of DTC to Delhi Integrated Multi Modal Transit System (DIMTS) including running buses, finalising routes and hiring staff," Gupta said. She argued that this move plunged the DTC into a deep crisis, leaving its drivers and conductors with little work.
Outlining her government's corrective action, the Chief Minister announced a significant policy reversal. The bus operations have now been taken back from DIMTS, and the DTC will directly manage them. This move is positioned as the first critical step in a broader strategy to resuscitate the ailing state-owned transport utility.
The Road to Revival
The announcement signals the current administration's commitment to reclaiming control and streamlining the management of Delhi's flagship bus service. By bringing operations back under the DTC's purview, the government aims to address the inefficiencies and financial drain that accrued under the outsourced model. The focus now shifts to how the corporation will implement this transition and work towards financial sustainability while improving service for the millions of Delhiites who depend on it daily.
The revelation of losses on this scale, made on January 11, 2026, underscores the severe challenges facing public infrastructure and the political battles over its management in the capital.
