Delhi Government Presents Annual Budget of Rs 46,600 Crore

New budget estimate over Rs 45,000 crore, civic bodies get a hike of Rs1,000 crore.

Civic bodies get a hike of Rs1,000 crore in the budget. (Photo: IANS Photo)

The Delhi government on Monday presented an annual budget of Rs 46,600 crore for 2016-17. It is Rs 8,850 crore over last year’s budget.

Presenting the budget, Delhi Finance Minister and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said that the planned expenditure has been pegged at Rs 20,600 crore and non-planned at Rs 26,000 crore.

About 95 percent of the budget will be from our own resources, and only five percent will be provided by the Central Government. Of the total budget, Rs 36,500 crore will come from the taxes collected.

Manish Sisodia

In 2015-16, the budget estimate for the Delhi government was Rs 37,750 crore. It included Rs 21,500 crore for non-planned expenditure and Rs 15,350 crore for planned expenditure.

Rs.1,000 Crore More for Civic Bodies

The Delhi government has decided to hike the budget allocation of municipal corporations by Rs 1,000 crore, Manish Sisodia announced on Monday.

The budget allocation for the municipal corporations of Delhi was Rs 5,908 crore last year. It was later increased to Rs 5,999 crore. This year we have decided to increase it to Rs 6,919 crore.

Manish Sisodia to the Delhi assembly

Taking a dig at the BJP-controlled civic bodies, he also asked them to utilise the money properly.

“I hope the MCD will utilise this money to pay the salaries of its employees on time. This is public money and the MCD should not waste it by indulging in corrupt activities,” he said.

Talking about the much-hyped WiFi projects, Sisodia said the government would evaluate the pilot projects and come up with a more efficient WiFi system in the national capital.

The government has started pilot projects for WiFi in buses, outdoor WiFi in Burari and some NDMC areas. The government will come up with an efficient WiFi system after studying the pros and cons of the pilot projects.

Manish Sisodia

Other Commodities to Be Included in the Budget

As a result of reduced Value Added Tax or VAT, commodities like clothes, footwear, green cars and snacks will be cheaper. VAT on all tobacco products including cigarettes has been rationalised, along with a massive electricity subsidy which has also been included in the budget.

The new budget will focus on education and health. Every classroom of every school will have CCTV installations, Rs 100 crore have been allotted for it. An amount of Rs10 crore has been set aside for Aam Aadmi canteens that will provide meals for as low as Rs 5.

Provisions for a cycle lane along a major connecting road has also been made.