Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today said that the whole city missed its permanent (former) finance minister Manish Sisodia who used to present the budget every year. Addressing a press conference, Kejriwal praised the budget presented by Kailash Gahlot saying that the Delhi government has always presented a surplus budget. He said that the 2023-24 Budget has something for everyone and asserted that it will give a major push to infrastructure with Rs 21,000 crore being allocated for various projects.
The Delhi CM said that all anti-corruption measures, faceless services and doorstep delivery of services will continue. Kejriwal said that the Delhi government has been providing free education, water, power and healthcare services to citizens, but has never incurred losses, and assured that all the free schemes of the Delhi government will continue.
In 2014-15, the Budget outlay was Rs 30,940 crore, which has now gone up to Rs 78,800 crore, he said after the tabling of the financial document in the assembly.
हमें मिलकर एक आधुनिक दिल्ली बनानी है। इस बार दिल्ली का ये बजट एक साफ-सुंदर और आधुनिक दिल्ली के लिए है। Press Conference on Budget | LIVE https://t.co/CTdwdpIXcY
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) March 22, 2023
“This is because Delhi has an honest government. Finally, the Budget was presented today. The Delhi government’s Budget for the financial year 2023-24 has something for everyone. We have so far invested heavily in education, health and electricity sectors and this will continue. This budget focuses on a clean, beautiful and modern Delhi,” Kejriwal said.
“We have achieved so much despite so many hurdles. This shows our excellent administrative skills. Delhi would have seen much more progress had it got full statehood,” he said.
Under these schemes, 26 new flyovers will be constructed along with three double-decker flyovers while 1,400 kilometres of roads under the jurisdiction of the public works department will be revamped.
Talking about the double-decker flyovers, Kejriwal said vehicles will ply on the lower deck and metro rail trains on the upper deck. Talking about the augmentation of transport infrastructure, the chief minister said the government will be buying 1,600 new electric buses and developing three ISBTs with airport-like facilities.
Kejriwal also said the country’s first multi-level bus depots will be constructed and they will have bus parking at six levels. (With PTI inputs)