Delhi Budget to focus on health, education

New Delhi: Expected to give thrust to the education and health sectors, the Aam Aadmi Party government on Saturday said that it will call a five-day Budget Session of Delhi Assembly starting from March 6. The budget session will start with lieutenant-governor Anil Baijal’s speech and the government is likely to present its budget for the next financial year on March 7 or 8.

The decision was taken in a Cabinet meeting, chaired by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal at his official residence in North Delhi’s Civil Lines. “The Cabinet has decided to call budget session of Delhi Assembly from March 6 to 10,” Mr Kejriwal told reporters while addressing a press conference at his residence.

Like last year, education and health sectors are likely to take big chunk of budget. Sources said that government may give 25 per cent of the total budget to the education sector.

In the budget, the AAP dispensation will also provide sufficient funds to mohalla sabhas where people decide civil works in their respective areas on a priority basis.

Asked about the Opposition’s allegation that his government may influence voters in the municipal polls scheduled in April by presenting its budget, Mr Kejriwal said that the State Election Commission has so far not issued any notification on the civic poll yet.

Taking a dig at the Centre over not accepting demands of the Opposition to defer Budget Session of the Parliament in the wake of elections in several states, Mr Kejriwal said, “We have not asked the State Election Commission to wait for our budget, but they (Centre) had asked the Election Commission to wait for their budget and announce poll dates accordingly.”

Mr Kejriwal said the Aam Aadmi Party has made conscious efforts to give preference to women and youth for the upcoming MCD polls.

“We think the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is of youth. There are conscious efforts (by us) that women should get more prominence in politics,” Mr Kejriwal said.

“In unreserved seats, we preferred candidature to women where we had a choice between male and female aspirants,” he said.

The AAP has declared its first list of 109 candidates for the upcoming polls for 272 wards in the national capital scheduled to be held in April.

Of these, 49 are women candidates, including three seats, which were not reserved for women. The list also figures 64 young faces.