The Hindu : New Delhi News : Stress on infrastructure, sops for elders

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Friday, Jul 23, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Stress on infrastructure, sops for elders

By Our Staff Reporter

The Delhi Finance Minister, A.K. Walia, presenting the Budget at the Assembly in the Capital on Thursday. Photo: Sandeep Saxena

NEW DELHI, JULY 22. Faced with a tough financial situation and cut in Central Plan Assistance, the Delhi Finance Minister, A.K. Walia, today presented a Rs. 2437.76-crore deficit budget for 2003-04 with the deficit for 2004-05 projected at Rs. 2359.97 crores. The fiscal deficit was 3.22 per cent of the General State Domestic Product compared to 4.7 per cent of all States and 5.4 per cent of the Union Government.

Presenting his first budget in the absence of the Opposition BJP who had been expelled en masse from the Assembly, Dr. Walia also announced plans to restructure the Delhi Transport Corporation and the Delhi Jal Board and the decision of the Government to retire costly loans in order to reduce interest liability.

He announced the intention of the Government to put in place a dedicated Regional Rail Network connecting Sahibabad, Ghaziabad and Gurgoan. The Delhi Government has decided to finance the total feasibility study of the project, which is being taken up with the National Capital Region Planning Board.

Dr. Walia said a smart card system would be introduced both for registration of vehicles and driving licences, there would be remodelling of zonal offices of Transport Department with better public conveniences and two new motor driving schools on the pattern of IDTR Lone would be set up in Burari and Sarai Kale Khan.

The Finance Minister said the thrust was on infrastructure projects and in this direction work on the new Rs. 118 crore bridge over the Yamuna connecting Geeta Colony and Shantivan would begin by September this year. He said work for construction of a parallel bridge at Wazirabad had been assigned to the Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation. He announced that the concrete water channel from Munka in Haryana to Haiderpur at a cost of Rs. 315 crores would be completed by May 2006 providing a big relief to Delhiiites on the want front.

As for the senior citizens, Dr. Walia said the number of beneficiaries under The Old Age Pension Scheme had been expanded from 1.25 lakh to 1.5 lakh. The amount of monthly pension to senior citizens in the age group of 70 years and above had been raised from Rs. 300 to Rs. 400. Around 122,099 passengers can now avail of the concessional DTC bus pass facility for which Rs. 3 crores had been provided.

For the empowerment of women, four new Stree Kosh Centres were being started in Shahbad Daulatpur, Kalyanpuri, Najafgarh and Dakshinpuri. A new scheme for monthly relief of Rs. 350 per month for a period of six months to destitute women has also been put in place.

The Delhi State Freedom fighter Samman pension would be enhanced from Rs. 2251 to Rs. 3500 per month from August 1.

In the Education sector, Dr. Walia announced a new scheme for awards to old schools. The schools, government, aided and private, which are more than 100 years old would be given a one-time grant of Rs. 1 lakh and citation. Schools with more than 75 years of existence would be given Rs. 75,000 and citation and schools that have completed 50 years would be given Rs. 50,000 and a citation. The outlay for primary schools of MCD had been hiked from Rs. 91.90 crores to Rs. 135 crores.

It has been decided to launch a mass immunisation programme on the lines of the polio and Hepatitis B programme for typhoid vaccine. A modern socio-cultural centre has been proposed at Shahdara on a BOT basis.

A Judicial Academy is proposed to be set up at Dwarka at a cost of Rs. 10 crores to provide training and refresher courses to judicial officers.

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