NEW DELHI, Mar 22: Finance minister Kailash Gahlot on Wednesday presented a Rs 78,800-crore budget in the Delhi assembly for the financial year 2023-24, which majorly focuses on transport and infrastructure as part of the G-20 summit preparations.
The Delhi Government’s budget size for 2022-23 was Rs 75,800 crore and Rs 69,000 crore in the preceding year.
This was the first time that Gahlot presented the budget after taking charge of the finance department following the resignation of deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia who was arrested by the CBI in connection with the Delhi excise policy scam case.
“I would have been happier if this budget was presented by Manish Sisodia who is like my elder brother. The budget is an expression of expectations and aspirations of the people,” Gahlot said in his budget speech.
The Minister said the budget is dedicated to a clean, beautiful and modern Delhi with Rs 19,466 crore to be spent on upgradation of 1,400 kilometres of roads in the next 10 years. The Government has allocated Rs 2,034 crore for 2023-24 for various infrastructure projects.
This is the ninth consecutive budget of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government and education continued to get the highest allocation of Rs 16,575 crore for the 2023-24 financial year.
“Every possible help will be given to the MCD to remove the three mountains of garbage in Delhi. We will connect all colonies to the sewer network, increase capacities of sewage treatment plants to clean Yamuna river,” he said.
He announced that local bodies will be given financial assistance of Rs 8,241 crore in the financial year 2023-24.
Addressing the assembly, the minister said that the budget has nine schemes as part of G-20 summit preparations.
The government will undertake upgradation and beautification of road network, construction of 26 flyovers, three double-decker flyovers in collaboration with DMRC, include 1,600 e-buses, carry out electrification of bus depots, develop world class ISBTs and work to remove three landfill sites and clean Yamuna.
Out of 26 flyover projects, 10 are in construction stage while plans for 11 have been sent to UTTIPEC for clearance.
UTTIPEC, or Unified Traffic and Transportation Infrastructure (Planning & Engineering) Centre, is a nodal agency for clearing any transportation projects in Delhi.
Gahlot also rued the fact that despite its huge contribution, Centre has been allocating just Rs 325 crore to Delhi as its share in central taxes.
Elaborating further, he said that a six-point action plan for a clean Yamuna and removal of all three mountains of garbage is one of the focus areas of Delhi government’s budget.
“Okhla landfill will be removed by December 2023, Bhalswa by March 2024 and Ghazipur by December 2024. Delhi government targets removal of all three garbage mountains in just two years. MCD will get Rs 850 crore for flattening landfills,” he announced. (PTI)
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