Delhi Budget 2024 highlights: Delhi budget inspired by ideals of ‘Ram Rajya’, says CM Kejriwal

The Delhi government on Monday allocated ₹40 crore for the 'Business Blasters' scheme for student startups in its Budget 2024-25 tabled in the assembly on Monday.

It also made a budgetary allocation of ₹15 crore for the 'Business Blasters Senior' programme slated to be launched in Delhi government-funded universities soon.

Presenting the budget in the Delhi Assembly, Finance Minister Atishi announced an allocation of ₹16,396 crore for education.

The Delhi government has allocated ₹664 crore for nutrition-related schemes in its 2024-25 Budget, tabled in the assembly on Monday, with Finance Minister Atishi saying "No one sleeps hungry in 'Ram Rajya'".

Presenting the Budget, Atishi said, "To turn the vision of 'Ram Rajya' into a reality, our effort is to ensure that no person in Delhi goes hungry."

To ensure food for all, the Delhi government has implemented various schemes. There are 10,897 Anganwadi centres that cater to the nutritional needs of eight lakh women and children, she said.

This involves serving daily nutritious hot meals to 1,80,000 (1.8 lakh) children aged three to six, providing nutritional supplements to 3,40,000 (3.4 lakh) children up to three years, and supplying nutritional supplements to 1,20,000 (1.2 lakh) pregnant women and lactating mothers, she added.

The 'Mukhyamantri Teerth Yatra Yojana' was launched in 2019 to aid elderly population in the city to visit pilgrimage sites across the country.

Under this scheme, the Delhi government organises free pilgrimage travel for the elders to 15 places across religious faiths including Ayodhya, Dwarkadheesh, Puri, Varanasi, Maa Vaishno Devi Dham, Ajmer Sharif, Rameshwaram, Shirdi, Tirupati Balaji and Amritsar.

The senior citizens are required to fill out a form to avail the benefit of this scheme and can take one attendant with them.

The Delhi government on Monday presented a budgetary allocation of ₹80 crore for continuing the 'Mukhyamantri Teerth Yatra Yojana' for the year 2024-25.

Delhi Finance Minister Atishi presented the budget with a total outlay of ₹76,000 crore in the Assembly ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

The Delhi government last year allocated ₹4,744 crore for the social welfare department which includes expenditure on schemes such as 'Teerth Yatra Yojana'.

The Delhi government's 2024-25 Budget takes care of every sector, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Monday and asserted that the AAP dispensation is inspired by the ideals of "Ram Rajya".

The chief minister also said the Mukhyamantri Mahila Samman Yojana, under which ₹1,000 per month will be given to every adult woman, is probably the "world's biggest step towards women empowerment".

Addressing a press conference after Delhi Finance Minister Atishi presented her maiden Budget in the House, Kejriwal said it is a "very good budget that takes care of every segment of people and sector".

"The Mukhyamantri Mahila Samman Yojana is perhaps the world's biggest programme of women empowerment. It will incur a huge amount. We will implement the scheme after the Lok Sabha polls," he said.

Under the scheme, ₹1,000 will be provided per month to every adult woman in Delhi.

PTI

“The (Delhi) government under the leadership of Arvind Kejriwal has continuously worked towards ensuring the safety and respect of women in Delhi. A history has been created today with this decision. It will surely build up the self-confidence in women,” said AAP leader Gopal Rai on the announcement of ‘Mukhyamantri Mahila Samman Yojana’ in Delhi Budget 2024-25.

In her Budget speech on Monday, Delhi finance minister Atishi announced that Delhi will have over 10,000 public transport buses including 80 per cent e-buses by 2025.

Budget 2024-25 allocates ₹902 crore for development of unauthorised colonies in national capital, said finance minister Atishi on Monday.

While presenting Delhi Budget on Monday, Delhi finance minister Atishi announced an outlay of ₹510 crore for e-buses and ₹500 crore for Delhi Metro.

Delhi Budget 2024 Live: Delhi govt allocates ₹8,685 crore for health sector in FY25 budget, announced finance minister Atishi during her Budget speech on Monday, reported news agency PTI.

"The Kejriwal government will give monthly ₹1,000 to every woman aged 18 years and above under Mukhya Mantri Mahila Samman Yojna," said Delhi finance minister Atishi while presenting the budget in Delhi Assembly on Monday, reported news agency PTI.

Delhi Budget 2024 Live: "Saving a person's life is 'Ram Rajya' as well. However, we all know that people were afraid of helping accident victims in Delhi a few years ago. That's why we started the 'Farishtey Dilli Ke' scheme. Under this, the Delhi government will bear the cost of expenses of the accident victims. As a part of this scheme, we have saved 22,000 lives in Delhi," says Delhi finance minister Atishi as quoted by news agency PTI.

Delhi Budget 2024 Live: On Monday, Delhi finance minister Atishi presented the Budget for the financial year 2024-25 in the state assembly, with an outlay of ₹76,000 crore.

In her maiden budget speech, she proposed an allocation of ₹16,396 crore for the education sector.

"Arvind Kejriwal has emerged as a ray of hope for the people of Delhi. People of Delhi have trusted him because of his honesty and have made him the CM with a thumping majority. All the legislators who are present here are inspired by Lord Ram, and that's why we have taken a 'sanklap' to fulfill the dream of 'Ram Rajya' in Delhi," says Delhi finance minister Atishi as quoted by news agency PTI.

Delhi Budget 2024 Live: In her Budget speech on Monday, Delhi finance minister Atishi hailed AAP government's work for people. She enumerated different policies and intiatives for the welfare of Delhi people.

She claimed that from 2014 to 2024, massive changes have taken place and cited Delhi's increasing economy, doubling of per capita income, schools for children, infrastructure and free medical treatment to the poor.

"It is a matter of pride that today, the 10th Budget of Arvind Kejriwal-led government is being presented in the Delhi Assembly," says Delhi finance minister Atishi.

Check out these visuals of Delhi finance minister Atishi with Delhi Budget 2024-25 outside the Assembly on Monday.

On Monday, Delhi finance minister Atishi took blessings of former Deputy CM Manish Sisodia's mother. Taking to X(formerly Twitter), Atishi posted: "Every year from 2015 to 2022, I have heard Manish ji's budget speech…Today in his absence, before I am going to present the budget, I took blessings from Manish ji's wife and his mother."

1,800 unauthorised colonies are there in Delhi. 30% of the city's population lives in those colonies. Delhi government is expected to allocate funds for boosting road network, water pipeline and sewage network in such colonies.

With Lok Sabha elections set to be held this year, the Arvind Kejriwal-led government is likely to make some major announcements in the Budget. The Budget is likely to focus on education, health, power and roads among other important issues.

The Budget Session of the Delhi Assembly began on February 15 and has been extended till March 8. It is likely to be the longest assembly session under the AAP government's regime, according to officials.

This will be Atishi's first Budget as finance minister after she was inducted into the cabinet last year in March.