NEW DELHI, March 31: The Delhi Assembly today passed the Budget for 1999-2000 with Finance Minister Mahinder Singh Saathi - the Opposition BJP's remarks fresh in his mind - defending it as a Budget with direction and blaming the Centre and the BJP Government for a fall in the revenue targets.Taking umbrage at the BJP's attacks during the discussion on the Budget, Saathi passed the buck, saying, ``We inherit what you have left behind and in making the Budget we cannot start afresh. What you see is also the result of the previous BJP Government's lethargy and complacency in implementing their policies.''``The Opposition is wrong in saying that the Budget lacks direction. Our main aims have been to encourage self-employment, generate employment opportunities, improve education, infrastructure and health care, set up corporations for minorities, women, physically handicapped and poor,'' he said.The leader of the Opposition Jagdish Mukhi had pointed out during his speech on the Budget that the Budget estimates were unrealistic, outlay hadn't been increased and there was a fall in the total plan outlay.In reply, Saathi said, ``The Budget estimates are realistic but if the current year target's have not been met it was because of the policies of the Centre. Because the outlay depends on the income we generate.''Saathi ridiculed Mukhi for raising the point of excise policy, remarking, ``You have been a Finance Minister yourself. You should know that the excise policy is not tabled along with the Budget but is made separately.''On not giving SC/STs due priority, he assured the House that a monitoring committee would see to it that all the funds allocated under various heads are used. Saaathi gave details of expenditure on SC/ST welfare: ``In 1994-95, of the Rs 16 crore outlay only Rs 5.29 crore was spent. In 1995-96 of the Rs 16 crore only Rs 8.37 crore was spent and in 1997-98 of the 19.5 crore only Rs 4.46 crore was spent.''He also informed that Sales Tax registration would now take 20 instead of 90 days and the laws of refund would be changed so that traders are not harassed.Speaking earlier during the debate on the Budget, former Education Minister Harsh Vardhan flayed it as ``opaque, dishonest and intellectually bankrupt.''``After this Budget, corruption will flourish both horizontally and vertically,'' Vardhan said and added, ``Jag Pravesh Chandra had once said to the BJP that govern properly or get out promptly. Maybe the Congress should (also) take the advice.''Countering Parliamentary Secretary Ajay Maken's point that the BJP had not shown any major achievements during its time, he said, ``We reduced sales tax on software, which was welcomed widely. Then we were the first to announce a multi-media park.''He also challenged the Government on health care, saying it could not make any of the seven Government hospitals into a 100-bed hospital ``because the outlay would not be enough''. Later replying during question hour, Education Minister Narender Nath agreed that the list of seniority of Government school teachers was not up to the mark. He added that civic amenities and maintenance would be done better if the Centre allowed plan funds to be spent on them.
