Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday hailed the budget presented in the city assembly, dubbing it ‘the budget of the aam aadmi’ and added that his party has fulfilled its pre-poll promises.
“This is the budget of the aam aadmi. The hopes and dreams with which they voted for us, this budget will look to fulfil those wishes. This is the budget for the poor and the middle class,” Kejriwal said, while addressing a press briefing.
“This is a budget we made by talking to the people. It is not a budget made in an air conditioned room. It is for everyone – women, students, the aged, industrialists… we have not raised any taxes, but have tried to appease everyone,” he added.
Kejriwal also took pot-shots at the Prime Minister Narendra Modi government at the Centre.
“There are certain political parties that say that they will bring back black money before the elections but after voted into power, makes us do yoga instead. They say that they will rid the country of inflation before polls, and after polls says that they will do a Swachh Bharat programme. However, we have delivered on every promise we made,” he said.
Speaking of the budget itself, Kejriwal said that his government has focused on increasing funds for health and education.
“Governments can only create the atmosphere for development – it is the people who will develop. We have focussed on health and education. If our children are healthy and well read, then they can convert Delhi into the best city in the world. This is our investment into this city, in our children,” he said.
“We have increased the budget of education by 106 percent, to more than double of what it was. All government schools will now have modern infrastructure and in the first year, we will start pilot projects in around 50 schools to improve the quality of education. We had promised that we will inaugurate 500 new schools in the five years we will be in power, but we have inaugurated 236 schools in only one year,” he added.
“This budget will also see a 45 percent increase in the health sector. We will create as many beds in public hospitals in this city as were created in the past 65 years. We will create three new hospitals and 500 mohalla clinics. We will also start the centralised procurement of medicines and equipment,” he further said.
Earlier in the day, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia presented the Budget in the city’s assembly, referring to it as ‘the nation’s first Swaraj Budget’.
