The Hindu : New Delhi News : Price rise in Delhi least among Metros: Govt.

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Friday, Mar 28, 2008
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Price rise in Delhi least among Metros: Govt.

Staff Reporter

‘Budget size has increased 4.5 times during last 8 years’
‘Non-Plan outlay is higher than that of Haryana, Orissa.’

NEW DELHI: Finance Minister A.K. Walia on Thursday said the rise in prices of essential commodities in Delhi was least compared with the other three metropolitan cities and also below the national average.

Replying to a discussion on the State Budget in the Delhi Assembly, Dr. Walia said the price rise in the Capital was only 3.2 per cent, while in Mumbai it was 4.6 per cent, in Chennai 5 per cent and in Kolkata 8 per cent. The overall national increase had been 5.5 per cent, Dr. Walia said, citing the National Labour Bureau’s consumer price index. During the discussion over the past two days, the Opposition had alleged that the Government had failed to curb price rise.

Dr. Walia also rebutted the Opposition charge that the Government had reduced the allocation towards energy requirements of the city. He said with the privatisation of power distribution the Government’s responsibility on 66 kV, 33 kV and 11 kV works had reduced which explained a lesser allocation for energy in the Budget.

Referring to the size of the Budget, Dr. Walia said it increased by a mere 1.76 times during the BJP regime in 1993-1998. “In the last eight years, the size of the Budget has increased 4.5 times from 2,233 crore to 10,000 crore,” said the Finance Minister.

He said the Rs.10,000-crore non-Plan outlay was higher than that of several other States including Haryana, Jharkhand and Orissa.

Rejecting the Leader of the Opposition Jagdish Mukhi’s charge that the Government had neglected low-cost housing, Dr. Walia said the Government plans to meet its target in the next one year.

The Minister also said there had been a marked improvement in the transport sector as the Government had constructed 37 flyovers and 27 more would be commissioned. The Government has decided to buy 4,000 air-conditioned/non-air-conditioned low-floor and standard buses, with maintenance contracts, for DTC, he added.

Dr. Walia also rejected the Opposition’s charge that the Government had not taken care of the health and welfare sectors. He said 2,126 beds had been added in the Delhi Government hospitals in the past eight years.

With the opposition BJP members expelled on the issue of “objectionable references” in a Delhi University book, the Budget was passed by a voice vote.

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