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Delhi Budget: No new taxes; focus remains on education, healthcare

AAP govt allocated Rs 11,300 crore for education, aims to start 24 new schools this year, and open 150 Mohalla Clinics

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With a major thrust on improving health, water distribution, transport, health and education infrastructure, the AAP government in its Rs 48,000 crore budget has allocated Rs 11,300 crore for education, Rs 5,736 crore for health and Rs 5,506 crore for transport.

The total expenditure of Rs 11,300 crore on education has been proposed which includes a revenue budget of Rs 10,186 crore and capital budget of Rs 1,114 crore which is 24 per cent of total budget estimates. Last year, the government has allocated Rs 10,690 crore and it has allocated only Rs 600 more this year for this sector.

While presenting the budget, Delhi's Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Manish Sisodia announced that the AAP government would start 24 new schools this year while construction of 10,000 new classrooms will be started in the next financial year.

"We will introduce pre-primary classes in 156 government schools in 2017-18, with upgraded infrastructure facilities. Early childhood education centres will be set up all over Delhi for the children in the age group of two to six years," he said.

Sisodia also announced that he would set up a commerce stream in 142 schools at senior secondary level from this year and also a planned expansion of NSIT, DTU and IIIT so that more students can be accommodated in these institutes. "Sports Medicines course at UG and PG levels will be started from the academic session 2017-18 in Delhi Pharmaceutical Science and Research University," he said.

He also said that their government has planned to construct two multi-storey hostels with modern facilities to accommodate 2350 players. In the health sector, the total expenditure of Rs 5,736 crore has been allocated on health which includes a revenue budget of Rs 5,048 crore and capital budget of Rs 688 crore. This is Rs 477 crore more than last year when a total expenditure of Rs 5,259 crore was allocated.

The government has announced in its budget that it will open 150 Mohalla Clinics while medicines and diagnostics will be made free in Poly Clinics. The number of Poly Clinics will be enhanced from 23 to 150 by the end of the next financial year.

"The total number of hospital beds in all hospitals of Delhi Government will be enhanced from 10,000 to 20,000 in the next 18 months and five de-addiction Centres for juveniles will be established in Delhi Government Hospitals/Institutions. Each centre will have five beds," Sisodia said.

In Public Transport and the Road Infrastructure Sector, the total expenditure of Rs 5,506 crore has been allocated. Last year, the government had allocated Rs 3,943 crore, so there has been an increase of Rs 1,563 crore in this sector.

The budget increase is also to do with the fact that the government would like to add more buses to Delhi's roads. Last year the government had announced that it would add 1000 buses but they failed to do this. This year the government has announced that it will procure 736 more buses under the cluster scheme.

The Government has approved Metro phase-IV comprising six corridors with the length of 104 KM All elevated corridors and flyovers at outer ring road from Vikaspuri to Wazirabad have been opened for public to remove the decongestion at outer ring road.

Focusing on infrastructure projects in Delhi, the minister said, "Construction of underpass at Ashram Chowk along with Mathura road will be started in 2017-18. It is proposed to construct skywalk and FOB at traffic intersection at ITO. The construction work of new flyover /underpass between Mahipalpur to airport road will be started in the year 2017-18. Construction of elevated road over Barapullah Nallah Phase-III from Sarai Kale Khan to Mayur Vihar will be completed this year."

In energy, the government proposed total expenditure of Rs 2,194 crore in 2017-18 including a subsidy of Rs 1,600 crore for domestic electricity consumers. Last year, the budget was Rs 1,986 crore, including a subsidy of Rs 1,600 core. Delhi is also targeting 1000 MW Solar Photovoltaic installation in next five years and 2000 MW till 2025.

BUDGET FOR SOCIAL SECTORS

DCW gets a hike
The AAP government has increased its annual budget of Delhi Commission for Women by three times amounting to Rs. 20 crore. The budget allocated last year to the women's panel was Rs. 7 core.

Senior Citizen plan
The government has announced to set up a "Commission for Senior Citizen" in 2017-18 which will look into the issues related to the welfare and protection of senior citizen.

Scheduled Caste sub plan
An amount of ? 900 crore has been earmarked under Scheduled Caste sub plan (under 789 budget head) in 2017-18 which is 27 percent higher than the revised estimate of 2016-17. 77

Social Security & Welfare
The total expenditure of? 3467 crore on Social Security & Welfare in 2017-18, an amount of ? 3081 crore is earmarked for implementation of various schemes, programmes and projects under Social Security & Welfare sector

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