Delhi: AAP govt presents ‘poor people’s budget’

The CM called Sisodia’s budget tailor-made for the common citizen. “This is a poor people’s budget. We need to get people driving cars to use buses. We need to bring 10,000 buses on roads. This budget was not prepared in AC rooms,” he said.

Sisodia, also the Deputy CM, said the allocation for education has been increased by 106 per cent.

Social security and welfare funds have also been more than doubled and health will get a quarter more budget this fiscal year. “This allocation for education is probably a first in the country, which indicates our commitment to the cause of education. For us, it is not expenditure but investment,” Sisodia said. The budget includes CCTV cameras in classrooms of schools to bring in “transparency and accountability”.

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Sisodia also said that the Budget document was a milestone towards achieving the ideal of Swaraj and a development model that was driven from the bottom instead of a top-driven one. Sisodia also announced the establishment of a Swaraj Fund and allocated Rs 253 crore towards it. “This is a unique experiment as the public will decide in mohalla sabhas where to spend the money,” he said.

“We give Rs 1,30,000 crore to the Centre as taxes but get merely Rs 325 crore as our share. Step-brotherly treatment is being meted out to Delhi. It’s about the right of Delhi’s residents,” Sisodia said.

After the budget was presented, Kejriwal claimed he was better suited to bring back black money to India. “We delivered what we promised. There are many parties who say we will bring back black money and after elections they organise Yoga Day. Before elections, they say we will bring down inflation and after coming to power take the cause of Swachh Bharat,” Kejriwal said.

“You don’t even know how much black money Delhi has. We are preparing a plan to make everything online for traders. I will bring back black money when I am the Prime Minister,” he said.