In biggest budget yet, Delhi allots ₹50-cr to battling Covid-19

Presenting the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government’s first budget after it swept the February 8 Assembly elections, Delhi finance minister and deputy chief minister

Presenting the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government’s first budget after it swept the February 8 Assembly elections, Delhi finance minister and deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia Monday announced at least eight new schemes and set aside ₹50 crore to build adequate quarantine facilities and stock up medical supplies for containing the coronavirus epidemic in the national capital. The government also announced two schemes to address concerns arising from the riots that left 53 dead and over 400 injured in N-E Delhi this February.

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On Monday, the government gave highest allocation to education and health sectors at ₹15,815 crore and ₹7,704 crore, respectively—both of which have remained core work areas of the AAP government—followed by the transport sector (₹5,941 crore).

The budget, with a total outlay of ₹65,000 crore for the financial year 2020-21, was the highest ever for the city, the Delhi government said, adding that it was 18.61% more than the revised estimate of ₹54,800 crore in 2019-20.

In his budget speech, Sisodia said the ‘Kejriwal model of governance’ has helped some people save money for their children’s future and others to buy more, which, he claimed, has kept Delhi’s economy “healthy” at a time of a global slowdown.

“We are conducting a survey to find out how Delhi government’s freebies or welfare schemes have helped the city’s residents. So far, at least 69% people from a sample of 3,000 households said they are using the savings from our schemes in buying essential commodities, 28% are saving for their children’s financial security. This 69% of people are creating a demand in the market,” he said.

The budget also made specific allocations towards fulfilling the electoral promises made by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal in his 10-point guarantee card released in the run up to the Delhi Assembly elections.

One of the 10 promises made was to ensure 24x7 supply of clean drinking water to every household. Sisodia said that towards this end and to ensure equitable distribution of water, 3,341 bulk meters are being installed across the city, all of which will become operational by July.

Allocating ₹3,724 crore for the water department, the government announced installation of four decentralised water treatment plants, with a collective capacity of about 4 MGD, will be installed on the banks of river Yamuna.

Sisodia also briefly talked how the power distribution companies will be shifting all overhead electricity cables underground—another promise in the guarantee card—for people’s safety, but did not set aside any funds for this.

The budget also allocated ₹2 crore to the environment department for appointing environment marshals to ramp up enforcement, but nowhere did it mention the quantum of funds set aside for the deployment of mohalla marshals—another pre-poll promise.

MOHALLA SAFETY AND PEACE SCHEMES

Among the new schemes announced, two were direct outcomes of the north-east Delhi riots, which killed 53 and injured over 400. After the riots, legislators and the urban development department were flooded with requests for installation of gates at every entry/exit of affected colonies.

Through Monday’s budget, the government attempted to address this demand by announcing the ‘CM Mohalla Suraksha Yojana’ for which Sisodia set aside ₹100 crore.

The finance minister announced a second scheme saying, “After the recent communal violence, the need has been felt for extra efforts to maintain communal harmony. For this, we propose to start a new scheme of ‘Campaign for Communal Harmony’.”

The House also approved financial support of ₹6,828 crore to the municipal corporations in 2020-21 as against ₹6,380 crore in the previous budget.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

To supplement the general development works at the local level, a fresh scheme—‘Chief Minister Local Area Development’—was announced with an outlay of ₹400 crore.

The Delhi government also talked of health ID cards for school students and adults. While the ‘Mukhya Mantri Health Card’ for all Delhi residents is an old announcement, issuing multipurpose identity card to all school students with their health details under a separate ‘school health scheme’ was a new takeaway, which the finance minister said will be launched next year.

To mitigate pollution, the government said it will install smog towers at various locations and create more space for new state-run buses, it also proposed to create multi-level parking facilities at four of its bus depots.

Meanwhile, the AAP government sprang a surprise by announcing it will implement in Delhi, in this financial year, the Central government’s Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, which aims to provide health insurance cover up to ₹5 lakh per family every year.

The AAP government, until February this year, had maintained that the Central scheme does not fit in Delhi’s scenario where the per capita income is higher than many other cities in the country.