Delhi Finance Minister Manish Sisodia begins the Budget 2018-2019 speech, says the AAP government's long-term vision is "trickle up economics".
In a new move, Mr, Sisodia has also given timelines for all the schemes that have been announced.
Electric buses will be on the roads by March 2019, while 530 mohalla clinics and 230 clinics in schools would be constructed by October 30. Staff for these clinics would be appointed in 4 months, says Mr. Sisodia. Doorstep delivery of services to be implemented by June 15, he adds.
"Growing economy"
"Despite demonetisation and GST, Delhi's economy is growing," says Mr. Sisodia and adds that the Budget for Delhi for 2018-19 has gone over Rs. 50,000 crore for the first time. This year the budget is Rs. 53,000 crore.
"In 2014-2015, before the AAP government came to power, the budget was Rs. 30,940 crore. Last year's budget was Rs. 48,000 crore," says Mr. Sisodia.
The government allocates Rs. 1,000 crore for repairing small roads of the municipal corporations. "Only problem is that LG will have to get NOC from corporations, I hope he will do so," says Mr. Sisodia.
"Green Budget"
"For the first time anywhere in the country, a Green Budget is being presented," says Mr. Sisodia.
A 26-point programme across four departments has been included in the budget. The programme was drawn up with the help of a global think tank, reveals Mr. Sisodia. "PM2.5 can be reduced by 503MT with the implementation of this programme," he says. "A real time assessment of pollution would be done by University of Washington."
Here are some of the announcements that Mr. Sisodia is making:
| Air Ambience Fund to be used to plant lakhs of plants. |
| Government to give Rs. 1 lakh to industrial units that switch to piped natural gas. |
| 1,000 indoor display panels to be introduced in government buildings to show air pollution levels |
| 1,000 electric buses to be procured. "Apart from China, this would be the biggest fleet of electric buses in the world," he says. |
| 905 electric feeder buses for the Metro for last mile connectivity. |
| To boost electric mobility, electric vehicle policy with focus on two wheelers to be formulated. |
| 1,000MW of solar and wind power to be bought. |
| Consumption audit of government buildings to be done, starting with the Power Department |
| Agriculture-cum-solar farm scheme to be introduced for outer-Delhi areas |
| Solar panels to be installed over 16km of cycling tracks |
| Rs.2,190 crore announced for power sector |
A 50% waiver on registration fee of factory-fitted CNG cars. "This too would only happen with the L-G's approval," says Mr. Sisodia. "We are using the carrot and stick approach. For overloaded trucks, weighing bridge being installed. In addition, a third party audit of PUC being is done with the involvement of MIT and University of Chicago."
For the education sector
The government has increased the budget allocation for education this year at Rs.13,997 crore. This is 26% of the total budget from 23.5% in 2017-2018.
All school managing committees will be given Rs.5 lakh each to strengthen libraries, arts education, says Mr. Sisodia.
Around 200-250 cameras to be installed in each school so parents can see their children through live-streaming. All school teachers will also get tablet computers to keep record of attendance, says Mr. Sisodia.
Coffee machines to be added to staff rooms.
Rs. 10 crore allocated for self-defence training for students.
Rs. 15 crore allocated for school ranking to be done by Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights.
Rs. 20 crore allocated for sports facilities in schools.
Rs.36 crore allocated for language academies, English academy to be started.
For the health sector
Rs. 6,729 crore has been allocated for the health sector. This is 12.7% of the total budget. "Around 80 lakh people have used mohalla clinics so far," says Mr. Sisodia.
Here are some of the announcements:
| Rs. 403 crore allocated for mohalla clinics and polyclinics in 2018-2019 |
| Rs.20 crore for free diagnostic tests |
| Rogi Kalyan Samitis to be created in all constituencies |
| Rs.15 crore allocated for mobile van clinics |
| Rs.53 crore for scheme to send senior citizens on pilgrimages |
| CCTV cameras to be installed in all Anganwadi centres, all Anganwadi workers to be given mobile phones |
| Rs.1,833 crore for welfare of disadvantaged groups, SC, ST, OBC |
| Rs.1 crore allocated for anti alcohol, drugs programme |
Infrastructure
"As there are no bulk meters, we don't know where the water goes. For the first time, bulk meters would be installed at water treatment plants, underground reservoirs and primary and secondary points so people can know how much water goes to their colony," says Mr. Sisodia.
Sewer lines in 162 colonies to be completed by December 2020, while Rs.1,500 crore has been allocated for infrasfructure development in unauthorised colonies.
Rs.100 crore allocated for the development of Delhi's markets.
"All the schemes for the poor, I have to say that we have to wait [for L-G's approval]," says Mr, Sisodia.
The WiFi project has been handed over to PWD from IT department and Rs.100 crore has been allocated for it. For Azadpur mandi, an e-mandi services would be started to improve transparency, says Mr. Sisodia.
Outcome Budget 2017-2018
In a first, Finance Minister Manish Sisodia presented the status report of the Outcome Budget 2017-2018 that he had presented last year. The Aam Aadmi Party government scored 73% in its report card for itself, in the form of the status report of the Outcome Budget 2017-2018 that was presented in the Delhi Assembly on Wednesday.
However, some of the AAP government’s pet projects, including the Aam Aadmi Mohalla Clinics and model schools, were found to be off-track.
