Delhi assembly passes Sheila’s first budget

The Delhi Assembly approved the Budget for financial year 2011-12 on Monday. The approval came with changes including a jump in MLAs’ Local Area Development funds, tax sops for handloom furnishing businesses, and increased spending on social sector schemes.

The Delhi Assembly approved the Budget for financial year 2011-12 on Monday. The approval came with changes including a jump in MLAs’ Local Area Development funds, tax sops for handloom furnishing businesses, and increased spending on social sector schemes.

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Allowing 50% spending on social sector-related schemes, CM Sheila Dikshit’s first Budget as finance minister hiked the MLAs’ funds from R2 crore to R4 crore per annum. This will include R1 crore for improvement of water and sewage network in each MLA’s constituency. It will also include R10 lakh under the District Development Committee scheme. The existing limit of R70 lakh for one work under the scheme has been hiked to R150 lakh.

To promote handloom trade, handloom-furnishing has been exempted from VAT.

The government has also revised the allocated plan outlay for various development works in unauthorised colonies during the 11th Five Year Plan from R2,800 crore to R3007 crore.

The Assembly also passed the Delhi (Right Of Citizen To Time-Bound Delivery of Services) Bill, 2011. The law entitles Delhiites to get any government-related work done within a specified time, beyond which the officials concerned would be fined Rs 10 per day for delay. This was reported in HT last week.