The Delhi Assembly on Tuesday passed the Budget for the 2013-14 fiscal year with a voice vote amid protests by the Opposition BJP members.
The Budget was presented on March 20, 2013 in the Vidhan Sabha by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit who holds the Finance portfolio. Replying to the debate in the absence Dikshit, Delhi Health Minister Ashok Kumar Walia described the Budget as a forward-looking one which "would go a long way in accelerating the pace of progress and prosperity." Walia stated that for the first time in the country, a tax-free Budget had been presented.
He refuted the allegations of the Opposition that the Government presented an "election Budget". "The Government has not levied any fresh taxes and there has been no hike in any of the existing ones," he said.
"While taking ground realities into consideration, the Government has just decreased VAT on a number of items. The social sector and services sector received the highest priority in terms of budgetary allocation under plan and an outlay of Rs 10,359 crore with these sectors getting a share of about 65 percent of the total plan budget," he said.
Walia denied allegation that people's participation was not ensured during formulation of plans. He stated that valuable suggestions were called from citizens, NGOs, civil society organizations and other stakeholders.
He further refuted allegations of the Opposition that non-plan expenditure had been higher. He added that non-plan expenditure should not be seen as unproductive.
"Our Government increased the number of subsidized gas cylinders to nine and then to 12 in January to all BPl/AAY/JRC cardholders. The slow pace of expenditure in first nine months of the financial year is only because of delay in taking decisions by the three municipal corporations. The corporations had to sanction layout plans and building plans and they took much time resulting in undue delay. There has been no delay in refunding VAT to the traders. The delay has taken place only in those cases where documents were incomplete," he said.