AAP presents Rs 53000 crore 'green' budget; focus on environment, education & health

The AAP government today presented its fourth budget that focused on the environment, health and education sectors.

The government claimed it is India's first "Green" budget as it announced "health insurance for all" and a slew of measures to tackle air pollution.

The dispensation said that it followed "Trickle Up" economics to benefit the poor, even as the opposition termed it "jugglery of statistics".

Deputy Chief Minister Mansh Sisodia presented a Rs 53,000 crore budget for 2018-19 in the assembly.

He asserted that Delhi's economy continuous to be on the path of sustainable growth despite the "negative" impact of demonetisation and disruption caused due to the implementation of GST.

In the next financial year, the government said it expects to get Rs 23,400 crore from the Goods and Service Tax (GST) which is 60 per cent more than Rs 14,600 crore mopped up in the current fiscal, even as it lambasted the Centre for introducing the new tax regime.

It said the fiscal deficit dropped to about one-third of the original estimate for the current financial year after it carried forward Rs 1,969 crore of the budgetary shortfall to 2018-19.

For the first time, the government said, it has defined definite timelines for various projects for their timely implementation.

Sisodia announced that the government would install CCTV cameras at schools, impart self-defence training to girl students, and allocate Rs 100 crore for free Wi-Fi, which was a major pre-poll promise of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

Also, it would install 1.2 lakh CCTV cameras in the city by June next year.

Terming it a "splendid" budget, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal said the government will take development to every home in the national capital.

The budget aims at benefiting all sections of society, including the middle class, the poor, women and students, he added
Kejriwal, however, did not fail to take a dig at Lt Governor Anil Baijal, saying, "There is a proverb, 'Man proposes God disposes', but here 'Delhi government proposes, L-G disposes'."
Reacting to it, Union minister Harsh Vardhan tweeted: "#DelhiBudget - Delhi Budget is non-serious; falls short of target in setting up classroom libraries; development of every house is too ambitious to implement. Blaming Lt Governor is nothing but seeking excuses for non-performance."