New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Delhi government took a step to delivering on its election promise with its first budget focusing on education as a key priority. In the run up to election, the AAP had released a 70-point agenda focusing on education, health, women security and governance.
The government on Thursday more than doubled the allocation for education in the budget for the year to next 31 March and refrained from imposing any new taxes.
The government’s total budget for the current fiscal year was estimated at ₹ 41,129 crore. This included plan expenditure of ₹ 19,000 crore and ₹ 22,129 crore of non-plan expenditure.
The total estimate is ₹ 3,731 crore more than the ₹ 37,769 crore approved in March through a vote on account.
The largest proposed expenditure of ₹ 9,836 crore has been made for education.
“This is 106% more than the last financial year’s plan expenditure of ₹ 2,219 crore. This in itself is a proof of the priority given by the government to education” said deputy chief minister and finance minister Manish Sisodia in his 140-minute budget speech.
The government allocated ₹ 4,787 crore for the improvement of health services.
The government expects to collect ₹ 24,000 crore through value added tax (VAT), 69.3% of total revenue. No increase was effected in VAT; luxury tax was raised from 10% to 15% and entertainment tax from 20% to 40%
To ensure skill development and nurture business ideas, the government will set up incubation centres. It set aside ₹ 30 crore for a higher education and credit guarantee scheme.
This budget also included inputs from the 11 constituencies that were taken up on a pilot basis for participatory budgeting. The government will take up this initiative for all 70 constituencies from the next budget.
The government has proposed to set up a ‘swaraj fund’ with a budget provision of ₹ 253 crore.
“A new initiative, swaraj fund, is proposed to be created, enabling the citizens in selection and implementation of programmes prioritized by them for the development of their area,” Sisodia said.
This year under this fund, an allocation of ₹ 20 crore is proposed for the 11 constituencies and ₹ 50 lakh each for the remaining.
Addressing the media after the presentation of the budget, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said, “It is the budget of the aam aadmi....It is the budget of the poor and the middle class. We did what we said. Lots of parties say they will get back black money but make us do yoga after elections. We did what we said. There is something for everyone in this budget. No taxes were increased.”
Experts said the budget was in line with the pre-election agenda of AAP, which came to power by winning 67 seats in the 70-member Delhi assembly in elections this year.
“There is nothing unusual in the budget. It reflects the commitment of the aam aadmi agenda. These are all a part of the election pledge,” said Bidyut Chakrabarty, a New Delhi-based political analyst.
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