Interim budget: Stepmotherly treatment to Delhi, says AAP

According to interim budget documents, Delhi will receive ₹1,168 crore from the Centre in 2024-25 -- the same as last fiscal

The Delhi government on Thursday described the interim budget as “disappointing”, alleging that the Capital has yet again been denied its rightful due and that its allocation has stayed the same as last fiscal at ₹1,168 crore.

Delhi finance minister Atishi (right) said that that the Capital has yet again been denied its rightful due and that its allocation has stayed the same as last fiscal at ₹1,168 crore. (ANI Photo)

“The Centre has always adopted a stepmotherly treatment against Delhi government. The Centre adopted the treatment in this budget as well. The rightful share in central taxes of Delhi government stands at a minimum of ₹15,000 crore but Delhi has been given only ₹1,000 crore. The Centre has earmarked funds for all urban local bodies of the country but it gave nothing to MCD,” Delhi finance minister Atishi told reporters in her reaction to the Union Budget.

According to interim budget documents, Delhi will receive ₹1,168 crore from the Centre in 2024-25, which includes components such as compensation for the 1984 riots victims, share in central taxes and duties, contribution to Union Territory Disaster Response Fund and Central assistance for externally aided projects such as the Chandrawal water treatment plant.

“The Delhi government is committed to the development and service of the people of Delhi, and we will continue to work,” Atishi said.

Terming the interim budget as a bag of “jumlas”, Atishi claimed that the document did not mention how to tackle inflation. “The poor were expecting some relief on prices of petrol, diesel and LPG, but no action whatsoever has been taken in this budget. No tax relief whatsoever has been provided to common man,” she said.

“They talk about ‘Viksit Bharat’ but they have not increased any allocation for health and education. Education and healthcare as a share of the total budget is merely 2.51% and 1.98% respectively. It has been 4 years since the NEP was announced with the ambitious target of ensuring that 6% of the GDP was allocated to education. But little progress so far,” she said.

AAP Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal said the Budget has failed to address issues such as inflation and unemployment “It is a disappointing budget for the common man,” Maliwal told reporters.

Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva, however, hailed the Union Budget. He said the Budget reflects the “Amrit Kaal vision” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “The interim budget shows that the economic condition of the country is much better than in 2013-14. India has become the fifth largest economy in the 10 years rule of Modi government, every section of the country has benefited from it. We are rapidly moving towards becoming the third largest economy in the world. The latest Budget is dedicated to the poor, youth, farmers and women and gives a vision for a developed India of 2047,” he said.

Sachdeva said the Budget laid emphasis of women development and upliftment with schemes such as the “Lakhpati Didi Yojana” and the and cervical cancer vaccination of programme for girls up to nine years of age. “In the interim budget, there is a vision for e-buses, Metro expansion and tourism development, which will also benefit Delhi a lot. Special benefit in housing for middle class will benefit Delhiites too,” Sachdeva said.