The Hindu : New Delhi News : It will slow development: Harsh Vardhan

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Wednesday, Mar 26, 2008
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New Delhi

It will slow development: Harsh Vardhan

Staff Reporter

Photo: Kamal Narang

No hike please: Delhi BJP leader Harsh Vardhan leading a Mahila Morcha dharna against rising prices in the Capital on Tuesday.

NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party has dismissed the Delhi Budget proposals as “lacking in farsightedness” which would “slow down” development of the Capital.

Reacting to the Budget presented in the State Assembly by Finance Minister A. K. Walia on Monday, Delhi BJP president Harsh Vardhan alleged that the Government was not doing anything to improve the lot of the over 23 lakh people living below the poverty line in the city.

“The Congress had in its election manifesto of 2002 promised that the unauthorised colonies would be regularised and developed free of cost according to the policy framed in 1976-77. This Government has not fulfilled this promise in the Budget,” he charged. “The Finance Minister has informed that the Government has received applications for regularisation of over 1,400 unauthorised colonies. It is obvious that these colonies are not going to be regularised in the near future. Over 40 lakh people of these colonies have been disappointed with this Budget,” said Dr. Vardhan.

He accused the State Government of not providing “anything special for the development of the 364 villages of Delhi”, adding, “The slogan of re-development of the water bodies in these villages has been repeated. No scientific scheme has been included in the Budget for the cleaning of the Yamuna.”

The BJP leader also claimed that the Rs.1,000-crore scheme for improvement of the public transport system was “unscientific”.

“The Government has not announced any policy for compensation to the people killed in road accidents. The promise of constructing one lakh houses for the poor has been repeated in this year’s Budget. The Government that could not provide houses to the poor during the past 10 years, how will it provide one lakh houses within eight months?” Dr. Vardhan asked.

He also alleged that the claims of reduction in power theft were false and the data about improvement in water supply was forged. “There is no perspective in this Budget for providing houses, employment and basic amenities to the increasing population,” the BJP leader charged.

DPCC hails budget

The Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee has hailed the Budget presented in the Delhi Assembly by the Sheila Dikshit Government on Monday, describing it as “one that would address the lot of the poor”.

DPCC president J. P. Agarwal said the Budget would also help make Delhi a world-class city. “The provisions in the Budget are likely to ease the traffic situation as well as improve the water and power scenario helping to make the lives of Delhiites better,” he added.

Mr. Agarwal said the Delhi Government had done a great job by making financial provisions in the Budget to address the housing needs of the poor in the Capital. He said the Government had done a commendable job by providing for sewerage facilities in unauthorised colonies.

The DPCC president also said that making provisions for expansion of the Delhi Metro and construction of flyovers was a thoughtful gesture by the Government.

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