Delhi Budget: Health, education sectors receive highest share

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 23

The Delhi Legislative Assembly on Monday passed a Budget of Rs 65, 000 crore for fiscal year 2020-2021 before adjourning the house sine –die. The Budget focused on improving health facilities, education, continuing with their free schemes, improving safety for women, cleaner environment and also fulfilling promises in the ‘Kejriwal ka guarantee card’.

The education sector was allocated highest share of 24% of the total Budget with Rs 7,031 crore, transport was allocated 15% with Rs 4,328 crore, social security and welfare was given Rs 3,868crore and housing and urban development with Rs 3,723 crore, and water supply and sanitation was allocated Rs 3,724 crore and medical and health received 13 per cent of the Budget with Rs 3,952 crore.

The government is also going to implement the Union Government Aayushmaan Bharat Scheme in the Capital. The session began by paying homage to Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev. Speaker Ram Niwas Goel made a special mention of coronavirus, its impact.

“The Kejriwal model of governance has set an example for other governments. We promised to make Delhi a world-class city when the people of Delhi elected our government for the first time in 2015. I say this with great pride and happiness that we have been very successful in this direction,” said Finance Minister Manish Sisodia.

The government has proposed a number of steps in the education sector, such as developing spoken English competencies, patriotic course, convert all the classrooms for Class IX to XII into hi-tech digital classrooms. Delhi will have its own state board, 17 new school buildings at a cost of Rs 175 crore in 2020-21.

“The number of Mohalla Clinics will also be increased to 1,000. I propose an outlay of Rs 365 crore for Mohalla Clinic and Polyclinic in 2020-21. Under Aayushmaan Bharat Scheme a health insurance cover up will be provide to Rs 5 lakh per family every year,” added Sisodia.

To improve the transport system, a total of 11, 000 buses will ply on Delhi roads. The government also announced multiple schemes, begin a campaign for communal harmony after the impact of the north east Delhi riots.

Delhi’s gross state domestic product (GSDP) is expected to grow at a rate of more than 10.48 per cent during the year 2019-20, which will increase to Rs 8,56,112 crore from Rs 7,74,870 crore in the previous year.

The Budget Estimates of Rs 65,000 crore in 2020-21 is 8.33 percent higher than the Budget Estimates of Rs 60,000 crore in 2019-20.The Assembly session which had been earlier scheduled to March 23-27 was curtailed to one day due to medical emergency in the nation.

Leader of Opposition MLA Ramvir Singh Bidhuri urged the Speaker to call house of 15 sittings to discuss the issues of the capital, finance once coronavirus situation is controlled in the country.

The highlights

• Rs 100-crore scheme announced to make Delhi a tourism brand for domestic and foreign tourists and create new jobs in the sector
• Hikes water, sanitation Budget by 70%; proposes Rs3,723 cr outlay for development of unauthorised colonies, slum clusters
• Setting up Delhi’s own education board, a teacher training university, spoken English programme for alumni of government schools and participation in PISA Test in 2024
• Per capita income of Delhi was Rs3,89,143 in 2019-20, about three times higher than the national average, said Sisodia

Govt to spend Rs 50cr to fight Covid

• The Delhi Government will spend Rs50 crore during the next financial year to deal with the coronavirus outbreak.
• Finance Minister Manish Sisodia made the announcement during the Budget session on Monday.
• An amount of Rs 3 crore per year will be spent from current financial year for better facilities such as quarantine.

Join Whatsapp Channel of The Tribune for latest updates.