LG kicks off Budget session, lauds AAP government

During his inaugural address at the start of the Delhi Assembly’s Budget session, he said that the Aam Aadmi Party government had achieved a lot in its first year in office by providing affordable and quality services in the fields of education, health and public transport and seeking greater support from Centre to cater to the needs of Delhiites in a better way.

On the first day of the Budget session, Jung listed steps in the field of education, including the proposal to build 25 school buildings and 7,289 classrooms, 700 toilet blocks in existing schools and reforms brought about by amending the Delhi School Education Amendment Bill.

In his speech, Jung also took up the issue of Delhi’s share in Central taxes remaining stagnant since 2001-02 at Rs 325 crore despite the fact that the Centre received Rs 1,30,000 crore from the contribution of people of the Capital in the Central taxes every year.

“My government seeks greater support from the Central government in order to better cater to needs of the people of National Capital Territory of Delhi,” Jung said while addressing the legislators.

Apart from this, 1,000 new Mohalla Clinics, 100 polyclinics, increase of beds in government hospitals, free medicines and Health Insurance Scheme for all residents figured in the list of steps taken which brought about improvement in the health sector.

In the transport sector, proposals to induct 1,000 new low-floor buses, fares through e-ticketing machines in all DTC buses from June 2016 were also mentioned by Jung with regard to measures being taken to augment public transport in the Capital. He further said that the Delhi government is committed to make the city corruption-free and a move towards this was the passage of the Lokpal Bill which has now been sent to the Centre for its approval.

He said that 11 major roads are being redesigned for better traffic management and free pedestrian movement, adding that for efficient and faster movement of traffic in and across Delhi, 10 new corridors are being finalised.

Speaking on women safety, the Jung said women safety is a matter of highest priority for his government and 46 major dark spots have been identified by the government and appropriate lighting have been installed in 42 stretches and the remaining work will be completed by the end of this month.

Jung also listed the steps to help farmers whose crops were damaged due to unseasonal rains and hailstorm last year. “My government gave compensation of Rs 20,000 per acre to Delhi’s farmers who lost their crops due to unseasonal rains and hailstorm. This was perhaps, the highest compensation given to farmers, aimed at easing their distress.

“It is notable benchmark initiated by the Govt of NCT of Delhi,” he also added.

Later, Transport Minister Gopal Rai moved a motion thanking the Lt Governor for his address. In his speech, Rai emphasised that the AAP government’s mantra is “honesty”, the prime factor behind its “unprecedented success” and the upcoming Budget will “only take this forward”. Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who also holds the Finance portfolio, will present the Budget on March 28. He said the government was “sad” about the fact that the Centre was “sitting” on the Bills passed by the Assembly including the Lokpal Bill and the proposed legislation recommending hike in salaries of legislators. The five-day session, that will not see any new Bill being introduced, will conclude on March 31.