The Delhi BJP on Tuesday expressed concern over what it termed was the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government’s “inability to meet timeline targets” and utilise budget allocation even as the next fiscal was around the corner.
Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly, Vijender Gupta, said that the budget had been “derailed” and the fate of several projects was hanging fire as the Delhi government had failed to meet the targets set by itself at the time of presentation of the previous budget in March 2018.
“Another cause for concern is the failure of most departments to spend the allocated budget. They have been able to utilise hardly 15%-20% of the budget allocation. Within the short remaining time till the end of the current financial year, it is not possible to meet the targets,” Mr. Gupta said.
He added that the government would need “top-speed performance” to meet its budgetary targets till March 31. Mr. Gupta said that this remained a “remote possibility”.
“While presenting the budget in March 2018, Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister [Manish Sisodia] had set timelines for most of the projects. But the government has failed to meet them,” Mr. Gupta said.
The BJP leader said that the government, under the green budget, had promised 1,000 e-buses, 1,000 new DTC buses and 1,000 cluster buses but had failed “to deliver three buses against the set target of 3,000”.
Mohalla clinics
Even in its flagship mohalla clinics scheme, he alleged, the Delhi government had failed to meet its target to set up 530 mohalla clinics and 230 school clinics by October 30, 2018.
“Targets regarding installation of CCTV cameras in all schools by January 2019, doorstep delivery, hospital information system and universal health scheme have all failed to meet the set targets,” he said.
Mr. Gupta said that different departments had failed to utilise the allocated budget till date to the extent of as much as 80%-85%, prompting the Chief Secretary to broach the issue at a meeting of Secretaries and Heads of the Departments and issuing an “ultimatum... to fulfil the promises made in the budget”.
