New Delhi:
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday presented the ruling BJP’s budget – its first for the national capital in nearly three decades – announcing a “historic” Rs 1 lakh crore outlay and 10 ‘focus’ areas, including cleaning up the Yamuna, ensuring women’s safety, and fixing infrastructure problems.
The Rs 1 lakh crore figure, she said, was 31.5 per cent more than the AAP’s last budget, and included Rs 28,000 crore exclusively for capital expenditure to address, among other concerns, the poor quality of Delhi’s roads, the chaotic and dangerous traffic, and flooding that follows the lightest rain.
Accompanied to chants of “Modi, Modi” by colleagues – and to ‘sheeshmahal‘ jabs at her predecessor Arvind Kejriwal and his AAP – Ms Gupta’s 138-minute speech announced welfare schemes for women, measures to improve education and healthcare, and develop the city as a national ‘tourism hub’.
“This is not an ordinary budget… it is the first step to develop Delhi, which was ruined over the past 10 years (when the AAP was in power). Delhi went down in every aspect of development… previous governments ruined the economic health of the city like termites,” the Chief Minister said.
Among the headline points were plans to fulfil a pre-poll promise of Rs 2,500 monthly aid for women. A sum of Rs 5,100 crore has been set aside under the Mahila Samridhi Yojana scheme.
Also, Rs 500 crore will be put towards a decentralised network of 40 sewage treatment plants, or STPs, to clean up Yamuna River water. An additional Rs 500 crore was set aside to repair and upgrade STPs.
In addition, Rs 250 crore has been set aside to change old sewer lines and a massive Rs 9,000 crore for projects related to filtration (to produce potable water) and sanitation.
On Public Transport
Also in focus were plans to improve public transport in the city and an ambitious programme to install 50,000 CCTV cameras across Delhi, which the BJP has said will enhance women’s safety.
Rs 1,000 crore has been set aside to ensure better connectivity within Delhi.
Also, the BJP government will issue a bus pass for women to allow them to travel for free.
On Education
Delhi government schools – the quality of which were held up as excellent examples of the AAP’s governance – will be “reformed”, the Chief Minister said, announcing the launch of CM-SHRI schools; these will be on the lines of the PM-SHRI, or Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India.
CM-SHRI schools, Ms Gupta said, will be aligned with the new National Education Policy, implementation of which has run into controversy in Tamil Nadu over ‘Hindi imposition’ claims.
As part of the overhaul of the education department, 1,200 students, she said, will receive laptops from the Delhi government. It is unclear what selection criteria will be used or if there will be other benefits for other students, but a sum of Rs 750 crore has been earmarked for this.
Ms Gupta also took a swipe at the AAP – which has claimed its schools have a stellar exam record – alleging it withheld weaker students in Class IX and XI to generate positive results.
On Healthcare
Among other major plans and provisions announced, Rs 6,874 crore was set aside to improve healthcare infrastructure. This includes funds to expand the Ayushman Arogya Mandir initiative – a central measure to deliver preventive, promotive, curative, rehabilitative, and palliative care, and of which the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, or PM-JAY, is also a component.
“Soon people will get the benefit of Ayushman Yojana and Ayushman Arogya Mandir. In addition to the Rs 5 lakh (cover) from the centre, the Delhi government will give a top-up of Rs 5 lakh…”
Rs 2,144 crore had been allocated for this, the Chief Minister said.
On Housing
On the topic of building houses for the Economically Weaker Sections, Ms Gupta took a swipe at Arvind Kejriwal, declaring, “You made the ‘sheeshmahal’, we will build houses for the poor.”
The reference was to allegations Mr Kejriwal misused Rs 45 crore of taxpayers’ money to refurbish his former residence – allegations that went a long way towards ensuring a BJP victory.
Her government, Ms Gupta continued, had also allocated Rs 696 crore for the development of slum clusters and a further Rs 100 crore to set up 100 Atal Canteens to feed the poor.
On Pollution
Ms Gupta further announced Rs 300 crore to combat the city’s annual pollution and air quality crisis.
Every winter the air quality in the city plummets – in many cases to well over 500 (and that’s because the scale doesn’t extend beyond an AQI of 500) – as a result of weather conditions and
With input from agencies
The Hindkeshariis now available on WhatsApp channels. Click on the link to get all the latest updates from The Hindkesharion your chat.
