Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Wednesday gave a new definition to development. Sisodia said that development is by not building roads, flyovers and underpasses. Giving subsidy is also a component of development. He was replying on the vote-on-account in the House of Delhi Assembly. Giving a new definition of development, the Deputy Chief Minister said that providing subsidy to larger part of the population is also a component of development.
“We have different perceptions on the meaning of development in the country. If length of any road is the barometer of progress, then that’s limited thinking. Giving cheap power and free water to those who consume less is also development of any Government,” he said.
The AAP Government came under severe criticism after curtailing plan size and increasing non-plan of Delhi Budget for the year 2015-16. The downsizing of plan fund was the clear indication that it would hamper development of this city. The Deputy Chief Minister who is also holding the portfolio of Finance Department has tried to justify the increase in the non-plan as the amount of subsidy on water and power will be given through this head. He justified that if large number of people are benefitted from any scheme (read subsidy), it should also be known as development. The vote-on-account (that is over Rs9,400 crore) for the next three months was passed by the House on Wednesday.
Sisodia said that the AAP Government’s priority would be to stop wasteful expenditure and adopt a “bottom up” approach in preparing the Budget for the national Capital. He said his Government will have a zero-tolerance policy towards corruption.
Earlier, BJP MlA Vijender Gupta criticised the AAP Government for bringing vote-on-account and termed it wastage of money. According to Gupta, there is nothing in this vote-on-account and Budget provisions have disappointed him and they are not sustainable. He was critical on cutting plan head and increase in the non-plan head.
During the reply, Sisodia criticised the Centre for adopting step-motherly treatment in fund allocation to the city Government. Replying to a BJP MlA’s claim that the DDA was allocating land to the administration at the cost of one-rupee-per-acre for setting up schools, Sisodia said nothing of this sort was being offered to the AAP Government. “We acquire land for the DDA. But when we ask them to provide land for schools, bus shelters, hospitals and public parks, we are told to shell out Rs9 crore for one acre. For setting up a small power station in Dwarka, the DDA asked us to pay Rs9 crore. The power station could have benefitted local residents. I think we should be given land for development of the city.”
The Finance Minister also praised BJP MlA Vijender Gupta who had said that the vote-on-account and then bringing a regular Budget will add to the Government’s financial burden. “I am happy that he has raised the issue of cost of printing of the two Budgets. But I feel he should have talked more on the contents in the Budget than on the cost of its printing.”
The Deputy CM launched a scathing attack on the BJP Government at the Centre for ruining the city’s revenue collections during the past one year. “Under the President’s Rule, our revenue shortfall is to the tune of about Rs4,500 crore. I assure you we will not only make over for this shortfall but increase our revenue generation as well in one year.”
Sisodia said that Delhi contributes Rs70,000 crore to Central taxes. “In return, we get just Rs325 crore every year. I totally agree our earnings should be used for the development works in different parts of the country. If the Centre gives us just 0.65 per cent of our share of central taxes, that will work out to Rs25,000 crore for next five years.”
Earlier in the day, Sisodia said that the AAP Government’s anti-corruption measures during its 49-day rule were being praised by one and all in the country. “It is that faith that we had vested in the people that we are back in the Delhi Assembly,” he said.
Sisodia said, “if we are able to make only 495 schools instead of 500 promised by us during the elections and are able to open only 19 of the 20 colleges, people still will say that we cannot be corrupted.”