Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal presented the Budget for the national capital, with the central theme 'Deshbhakti' or patriotism. Not many new schemes were introduced in the budget which was largely focused on healthcare and education, but Kejriwal termed it as a surplus budget presented under difficult circumstances.
Here are the key points from Aam Aadmi Party's budget:
1. Due to its aggressive focus on patriotism, AAP leader and Delhi Finance Minister Manish Sisodia announced that the government will place 500 national flags throughout the city, similar to the one seen in Connaught Place, setting aside Rs 45 crore for this. The government will also spend Rs 10 crore to organise programs about lives and times of leaders like Bhagat Singh and B R Ambedkar.
2. The 'Deshbhakti' theme has seeped into other verticals of government, as AAP promised initiatives like a Delhi armed forces academy to prepare children for recruitment, giving Rs 1 crore to families of police and defence personnel who die in the line of duty. The government will also start free Yoga camps for the youth. There is also an initiative to start a youth mentorship programme for underprivileged students. For such schemes, a corpus of Rs 98 crore has been set aside.
3. Targetting women of the state, the government has proposed to start 100 Mahila Mohalla Clinics in Delhi, to specifically cater to women and provide gynecology-related tests free of cost.
4. Kejriwal government has also announced incubation centres for women in this year's budget. These centres will be opened in 500 Anganwadi hubs and will promote self-help groups.
5. With an eye on 2047, the government has pledged to increase Delhi's per capita income by 16 times to bring the national capital on par with Singapore boosting technology and infrastructure.
6. The AAP government also aims to up Delhi's sports infrastructure and has promised to launch a bid for the 2048 Olympic Games, which will also be the 100th year of India's independence.
7. Staying true to its track record, the government has made the highest allocation to education and health. For education, an allocation of Rs 69,000 crore (24 per cent) has been made, while 14 per cent has been given to health.
8. For the ongoing Covid-19 vaccination in India, the budget also mentions free vaccines for all Delhi residents.