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Assembly passes Delhi budget; BJP terms it 'anti-development'
The Delhi Assembly today passed Shiela Dikshit government's eleventh consecutive budget amid boycott by Opposition BJP over grim water and power situation in the national capital.
The Delhi Assembly today passed Shiela Dikshit government's eleventh consecutive budget amid boycott by Opposition BJP over grim water and power situation in the national capital.
The Rs 23,043 crore budget for 2009-10 was passed by voice-vote after a three-day marathon discussion since Monday when Finance Minister A K Walia presented it.
While BJP flayed the budget as "anti-development", Congress MLAs and the government maintained that it was a "development-oriented" one aimed at providing an impetus to various sectors.
Rejecting the allegations of BJP, Walia while enumerating various achievements of the government in the last two terms said sufficient allocations have been made to various sectors in the current fiscal.
The minister also hit out at the BJP-led MCD in his speech and accused it of failing to utilise entire funds released by the government.
"Its unspent plan fund has increased from Rs 60.77 crore in 2004-05 to Rs 110.26 crore in 2005-06, Rs 228.05 crore in 2006-07 and Rs 279.18 in 2007-08," Walia said while punching holes in BJP's claim that the city government has been making reduction in funds for the civic body.
