Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia presented Rs 53,000-crore Delhi Budget for fiscal year 2018-19 in the State Assembly. The Budget is 19.45 per cent higher than the revised estimates of Rs 44,370 crore in 2017-18, Sisodia said in his speech which lasted more than one-and-a-half hour.
“This is the first ‘green Budget’ of the AAP Government for effective containment of pollution in the city,” the Deputy Chief Minister said while presenting the Budget in the Assembly in the presence of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
Addressing the media about the Budget, Kejriwal said, “It is a splendid Budget and I congratulate Manish Sisodia for presenting the first green Budget.”
In the Budget, the Government had taken care of all sections of society. There is a lot for poor people, women, middle class and students. Besides education and health, we have focused on roads, sewer and water. We have also stressed on investment in these three areas,” Kejriwal added.
laying emphasis that the “green Budget” was being presented with 26 schemes or projects, Sisodia, who is also the Finance Minister, promised to start a pilot agriculture-cum-solar farm scheme. These schemes or projects are spread across the environment, power, Transport and Public works departments. The Government will also purchase 60 new vehicles, body-worn cameras and e-challaning tabs, he said.
Sisodia made a series of announcements, including a major thrust on “green” initiatives for pollution reduction, water and launching health insurance for all scheme. The Deputy Chief Minister said the Budget follows trickle up economics with an aim to benefit poor and middle class population of Delhi.
Sisodia in his speech mentioned that the Government has collaborated with global think-tank World Resource Institute to understand the impact of the “green Budget” for 2018-19. He claimed that the 26 projects will reduce CO2, PM2.5 and other pollutants emissions on a per year basis.
“It will reduce CO2 by 20,98,000 MT while there will be a reduction of 503 MT of PM2.5. Similarly, the 26 proposals will reduce 4,540 MT of NOX and 9364MT of SOX,” he said.
“If we have to control a dangerous problem such as pollution, then reliable data is a must. In the coming year, 2018-19, Delhi will become the first city of the country to carry out a real-time source apportionment study in partnership with the University of Washington and carry out near-continuous analysis of factors causing pollution on a regular basis,” Sisodia said.
The Government will also partner with the C-40 Cities Climate leadership Group, a network of the largest cities in the world, to carry out the first comprehensive city-wide inventory of greenhouse gas emissions in Delhi, he said.
Explaining further about the schemes, he said that a real-time source apportionment study in partnership with the University of Washington will be carried out, “The first comprehensive city-wide inventory of greenhouse gas emissions in Delhi will also be carried out, adding, “Government will offer an incentive to industries in approved industrial areas of up to Rs 1 lakh to switchover to Piped Natural Gas from existing polluting fuels,” Sisodia added.
As many as 1,000 indoor display boards will be installed in Government buildings to provide information on air pollution levels. There will also be subsidy for restaurants to encourage them to move from using coal to electricity or gas-based tandoors.
Sisodia announced 50 per cent concession in registration of CNG cars and said solar panels will be installed over 16 km cycle track.
Making various announcements on Education, Health, Infrastructure, Sisodia said that the AAP Government’s emphasis is on green initiatives for pollution reduction scheme under which the Government will work with University of Washington to get the real time ambient air data which vary with respect to different time, season and locations in Delhi.
In Delhi’s administration and policy frame work for the development of road and infrastructure, civic agencies are also pivotal. The total financial support to local bodies in 2018-19 is Rs 6,903 crore which is 13 per cent of the total Budget and 9.98 per cent higher than the funds given in the revised estimates of 2017-18.
The Government also announced installation of CCTV cameras in schools, providing self-defence training for girl students, allocating Rs 100 crore for free Wi-Fi, which was a major pre-poll promise by the AAP and installation of 1.2 lakh CCTV cameras in the city by June next year.
It also promised implementation of doorstep delivery of Government services by June 15, and Rs 1,500 crore for infrastructure development in unauthorised colonies.
An allocation of Rs 6,729 crore, which is 12 per cent of the total Budget, has been made for the health sector, and the launch of a ‘health insurance for all’ scheme was announced in the Budget.
Rs 100 crore has been allocated for the ‘health insurance for all’ scheme. First response vehicle will also be launched from East Delhi with 16 bike ambulances, Sisodia said, adding Rs 403 crore will be allocated for setting up ‘mohalla’ and poly clinics in the national Capital.
On Wednesday, while tabling the first Outcome Budget 2017-18, he had said that the Delhi Government has managed to set up 160 Mohalla clinics till December 31 this fiscal, against a target of 1,000 such facilities.
For the education sector, the Government has allocated Rs 1,39,997 crore, which is 26 per cent of the total Budget. In the Budget for the financial year 2017-2018, 23.5 per cent of the total Budget amount was allocated for the education sector.
Installation of CCTV cameras in school buildings, self-defence training for girl students, promotion of sports in schools and setting up of a world-class skill centre are among the big-ticket promises made by the AAP Government in 2018-Budget proposal.
Sisodia said Rs 175 crore will be allocated for installation of CCTV cameras in school buildings. A total of 1.2 lakh cameras will be installed.
He also promised implementation of doorstep delivery of Government services by June 15, and Rs 1,500 crore for infrastructure development in unauthorised colonies.
“The Government has allocated Rs 10 crore for self-defence training of girl students in Delhi and Rs 20 crore has been allocated for promotion of sports in schools,” he said, and also announced allocation of Rs 315 crore for setting up a world-class skill centre in the national Capital to train the youth in getting jobs.