Air fare to sanitary pads: Here’s how Delhi budget will impact you

The Delhi Budget tabled on Wednesday provided for more Mohalla Clinics, modernisation of schools, cheaper air fares, easy commute and reduced tax on sanitary napkins.

New Delhi

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Wednesday presented the Delhi Budget 2017-18 with maximum allocation of Rs 5,736 crore for the health care sector.(Sonu Mehta/HT Photo)

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government tabled the Delhi budget for 2017-18 on Wednesday. The government claimed that Delhi’s growth rate had slowed down due to demonetisation, however, its ‘outcome budget’ will help to extract benefits out of the different expenditures.

Though state budget has a limited impact as compared to the Union Budget, here is how it will affect you:

Patients: Additional Mohalla Clinics and polyclinics will mean that primary healthcare will come closer. You will receive free consultations, medicines and tests without going to the big, crowded government hospitals. In several government hospitals in Delhi, the patients’ load is so high that beds have to be shared by two or even three patients. Increase in the number of beds will mean that you will get a bed to yourself even in the government hospitals. Now, you will not have to wait for expensive tests and surgeries at Delhi government hospitals and diagnostic labs to provide these for free to patients coming to its hospitals. All Delhi citizens will be covered under the health insurance which will provide at least Rs 1 lakh cover at very little premium.

Students: Students in over 1,100 government schools will get bananas and boiled eggs in their midday meals. Girl students will get midday meals till Class 12. Government is planning 400 new libraries and two computer rooms in each school. Government is also coming up with pharmaceutical university.

Teachers: Teachers will be provided tablets to track the progress of students. The government has also promised to renovate staff rooms in government schools.

Air Travellers: For those travelling to smaller cities, the airfare will get cheaper as the government has slashed tax on air turbine fuel (ATR) from 25% to 1%.

Commuters: Traffic congestion likely to be reduced as the construction will begin for underpass at Ashram and Mahipalpur. Work on Metro phase-III and Barapullah phase-III to be completed this year, further decongesting central Delhi. Municipal bodies has also received greater allocation this year.

Women: Sanitary pads to get cheaper as the government has cut the value added tax on it from 12.5% to 5%.