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Delhi

Sisodia tables first ever Outcome Budget, says Metro ridership dipped

New Delhi: The Delhi government, in its first Outcome Budget tabled in the Assembly on Wednesday, said that the daily average ridership of the Delhi Metro was targeted to reach 30 lakh in 2017-18, but it dipped to 25.7 lakh, till December.
"The daily ridership of Delhi Metro, which was 28 lakhs in 2016-17 and was targeted to reach 30 lakh in 2017-18, actually reduced to 25.7 lakh," the Outcome Budget stated.
The Outcome Budget breaks down the performance of each major scheme and programme of the Delhi government into two kinds of indicators: output indicators, which tell us what are the services or infrastructure that government departments are required to be provided; and outcome indicators, which tell exactly how did the people benefit from that scheme, he said.
"Our government has decided that if the purpose of the Outcome Budgeting is to ensure accountability in government expenditure, then we must communicate to the Honourable members of this august House, a detailed status of achievements up to December 2017, against Outcome Budget 2017-18, before proposing the next year's budget," Deputy Chief Minister Sisodia told the Assembly, while tabling the Outcome Budget.
This was among the major critical indicators enunciated by Sisodia during the ongoing Budget session.
"In December, the Delhi Metro network expanded by 12.94 km with the opening of the Botanical Garden–Kalkaji Mandir section (of the Magenta Line). The average daily ridership of this newly opened section was about 45,000 in January 2018," Sisodia further said.
The total operational span of the Delhi Metro network will expand to over 350 km – after completion of its Phase-III project – which would further enhance the daily average ridership of the mass rapid transit system to as much as 40 lakh, according to the Economic Survey of Delhi 2017-18 released on March 19.
Currently, after opening of a stretch each on the Magenta and Pink Lines, the operational length of the Delhi Metro stands at 252-km.
Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta said that the Outcome Budget presentation by Manish Sisodia was a "cosmetic but futile exercise to cover up the overall failure of the Kejriwal Government."
"The data and figures were presented from the angle and gamut chosen by the ruling party. It turned out to be a jugglery presentation without any real substance and depth. Had the government been serious about the outcome presentation, it could have chosen link it with its 70 promises made in its election manifesto.
"The public could then decide about the real outcome of the government's work," Gupta told reporters.
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