With Delhi elections around the corner, the AAP government on Wednesday allocated more than Rs 2,500 crore for capital projects in the city, over what was allocated in the Budget announcement in March. The Delhi Jal Board (DJB), which has been reeling under a fund crunch, has also been given an extra Rs 1,900 crore to cover its routine revenue expenditure in the revised budget estimates for the ongoing financial year. Key capital projects that have received additional funding include the ongoing Delhi Metro Phase IV expansion, strengthening of busy roads, construction of bus depots, school buildings, additional classrooms, installation of CCTV cameras, construction of a flyover, and remodelling of existing hospitals. The government has also set aside an additional Rs 400 crore for the MLA LAD fund to accommodate the increase in the limit per Assembly constituency per annum – from Rs 10 crore to Rs 15 crore – with immediate effect. The funds can be used to repair roads, install street lights and perform maintenance works in each constituency. The government has increased the total outlay from Rs 76,000 crore in Budget estimates to Rs 77,700 crore in revised estimates for the financial year 2024-25. The Budget under schemes, programmes and projects has seen a slight increase – from Rs 39,000 crore (Budget estimates) to Rs 39,700 crore (revised estimates). The revenue budget has come down from Rs 60,910 crore in Budget estimates to Rs 60,087 crore in the revised estimates. The capital budget has been increased from Rs 15,089 crore to Rs 17,612 crore in the revised estimates. Chief Minister Atishi, who also holds the Finance portfolio, presented the Delhi Appropriation Bill in the Assembly on Wednesday, requesting a supplementary grant to meet expenses as per the revised estimates. The Bill was passed by the House through voice vote. Further, following the request of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation for Rs 7,200 crore for the Phase IV expansion, the government has allocated an additional Rs 1,648 crore in the revised estimates for the same. It has also kept an additional Rs 100 crore for Delhi-Shahjahanpur-Neemrana-Behrod and Delhi-Panipat-RRTS corridor in the revised estimates. An additional Rs 140 crore has also been allotted for free travel in buses for women. The allocation for power subsidy has gone up by Rs 350 crore, over and above the Rs 3,250 crore allocated in March.
