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Delhi Budget Speech 2015-16 of Shri Manish Sisodia (Dy.Chief Minister) - Called it First 'Swaraj Budget" of the country. |
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| 30-6-2015 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Hon’ble Speaker Sir, I rise to present the Budget for the financial year 2015-16. 2. Sir, it is a matter of great privilege and happiness to announce that this is the first “Swaraj Budget” of the Country. 3. In March, 2015, at the time of seeking the Vote on Account from this august House, I had submitted that Government intended to have a relook into the budget making process and would prepare the Budget 2015-16 by a participatory process integrating the valuable inputs, suggestions of the citizens, academicians, subject matter experts, trade organizations, RWAs, civil society, corporate sector etc. We regard the citizens of Delhi as the principal stakeholder in the governance system. Our government accorded the right to the citizens to participate in decision-making and in the process of governance. In preparation of this Budget we have ensured that citizens find a voice in the way they want to develop this city. 4. Until now the budget preparation exercise was confined to the premises of the Delhi Secretariat. However, this time a series of citywide assemblies were conducted, where residents identified developmental works and voted on which priorities to implement. It is a democratic process in which citizens directly decide how to spend part of the public budget. This exercise will enable the citizens of Delhi to work with the government to make the budget decisions that affect their lives. 5. Hon’ble Chief Minister made an appeal in April’ 2015 for inviting the suggestions from the people for the preparation of the Budget. There was an overwhelming response and we received more than 1500 suggestions. Extensive consultations were made through public meetings in 11 Assembly Constituencies. We discussed major issues and challenges with RWAs, NGOs, corporate sector as well as people at large. We have utilized these inputs and feasible suggestions in preparation of this Budget. I express my gratitude to the people of Delhi. They deserve accolades from this august House for partnering with us as principal stakeholder in the development process of the city. It is their valuable inputs and suggestions that has been the foundation of this budget and is reflected in all most all the announcements that I shall make soon. 6. In the last 130 days of our Government, significant measures have been taken for betterment of the life of citizens by reducing electricity bills, supplying free ‘lifeline’ water upto 20,000 litre per month. We have made substantial progress in moving towards our vision to make Delhi a world class city by making it an educational hub and skill development center. It shall have adequate facilities for healthcare for all citizens. Public Transport shall be available to all and also be environment friendly. There shall be vast employment opportunities alongwith innovative applications in service and industry sectors. 7. Our Government has embarked on city governance and delivery of public services in a most transparent and efficient manner. Public awareness campaign has been started to sensitize people of Government’s commitment to weed out graft and to make Delhi the first corruption-free State. Anti-graft helpline has been re-launched to enable the public to raise their voice against corruption. I appeal to the citizens to come forward and assist in achieving this commitment of our Government of making Delhi ‘India’s first corruption free state’ and also ensure each rupee spent by the Government is accounted for and utilized for the purpose for which it is earmarked. 8. This august House is an expression of the wishes of the people of Delhi. Full statehood for Delhi is an essential prerequisite for not just a formal but substantial fulfillment of the wish and mandate given by them. We are relentlessly pursuing this issue with the Union Government. Price Situation 9. The rate of inflation in Delhi during 2014-15 was 6.6% as compared to 8.3% in Mumbai, 6.1% in Kolkata and 6.4% at the national level. 10. Government is constantly monitoring prices of essential commodities. Efforts will be made through timely market intervention to control the prices. For the first time, Government of Delhi has decided to create buffer stock of onion & potato and will release it in the market during scarcity of the commodity. Financial Position 11. Speaker Sir, during 2014-15 Delhi was deprived of a democratically elected Government. Delhi was administered by the Central Govt. through the office of Hon’ble Lt. Governor. The absence of a democratically elected Government has had its direct impact on the tax collection of Delhi. While the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) of Delhi at current prices in the financial year ending 31st March 2015 is ₹ 4,51,154 crore showing a growth of 15.35% over previous year; tax collection grew only by a meager 2,64%. Tax collection was only ₹ 26604 crore in 2014-15 against ₹ 25919 crore during 2013-14. The negative growth of real estate sector is also one of the reasons for an adverse impact on the collection of Stamps and Registration Fee. In case of VAT, State Excise and Motor Vehicle Tax, growth of 2.03 per cent, 8.59 per cent and 10.61 per cent respectively was registered during 2014-15. 12. At constant prices, Delhi’s economy grew at the rate of 8.2% during last year compared to 7.3% growth at national level. While the contribution of Delhi to the national GDP is about 3.86%, we are only 1.4% of the total population of the country. 13. I would also like to reiterate a few pertinent facts which I had previously mentioned while presenting the Vote on Account. The annual per capita income in Delhi at current prices in 2014-15 is ₹ 2,40,849 as per advance estimates of Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP), which is 2.7 times higher than the per capita income at national level. I would like to inform in this context that the per capita income at national level is ₹ 87,748. Delhi’s economy has a predominant service sector with a share of 87.48% of GSDP followed by industry and agriculture sectors. 14. The Fourteenth Central Finance Commission has recommended increased devolution of Central Taxes to States from 32% to 42%. Delhi being excluded from the terms of reference of the Finance Commission is deprived of the benefit from this recommendation, although Delhi has a separate consolidated fund like other States and all financial transactions of the Government are met from its own resources. Had this recommendation been applied to Delhi, then Delhi would have received approximately ₹ 25,000 crore during the award period (2015-20). Expenditure 2014-15 15. Speaker Sir, Revised Estimates for the year 2014-15 was reduced to ₹ 34790 crore from the Budget Estimate of ₹ 36766 crore. Total expenditure as per provisional statement of accounts is ₹ 30940 crore during the year 2014-15. This includes ₹ 13984 crore as Plan Expenditure and ₹ 16956 crore as Non-Plan Expenditure against Revised Estimates of ₹ 16350 crore and ₹ 18440 crore Plan and Non-Plan respectively. Budget Estimates 2015-16 16. Sir, I have presented the estimates of receipts and expenditure for the year 2015-16 while seeking Vote on Account for the current year. After that we invited suggestions on Delhi Budget from the public and we received a large number of suggestions. Accordingly, we reviewed requirement of funds for various new programmes / schemes and committed liabilities for ongoing works. This necessitated increase in budget size for the current financial year. 17. The total Budget Estimate for the year 2015-16 is proposed at ₹ 41129 crore against ₹ 37750 crore approved in the Vote on Account. It includes ₹ 19000 crore Plan Expenditure and ₹ 22129 crore Non-Plan Expenditure as against ₹ 16250 crore Plan and ₹ 21500 crore Non-Plan expenditure approved in the Vote on Account. The proposed Plan Budget of ₹ 19000 crore is 16 per cent higher than the Revised Estimates of ₹ 16350 crore in 2014-15. The total budget of ₹ 41129 crore in 2015-16 is 18 per cent higher than the Revised Estimates of ₹ 34790 crore in 2014-15. 18. The Estimates of total Receipts in 2015-16 is ₹ 41500 crore which is ₹ 3731 crore more than the Receipts of ₹ 37769 crore approved in the Vote on Account. With the proposed Estimates of Receipts and Expenditure there will be a surplus of ₹ 371 crore. 19. The proposed total expenditure of ₹ 41129 crore will be financed mainly from our tax revenue of ₹ 34661 crore, ₹ 1127 crore from non-tax revenue, ₹ 381 crore from capital receipts, ₹ 1038 crore from small saving loan, ₹ 807 crore as compensation of CST/VAT, ₹ 800 crore from Centrally Sponsored Schemes, ₹ 395 crore normal central assistance, ₹ 163 crore Externally Aided Projects, ₹ 325 crore share in central taxes and the remaining amount from the opening balance. 20. The share in central taxes and duties of NCT of Delhi, which is given by the Government of India, is at ₹ 325 crore for this financial year and has remained stagnant since the last 14 years. In spite the increased devolution of central taxes to states by Government of India from 32 to 42 %, there has been no increase in devolution of Central taxes to Delhi. 21. The proposed total Expenditure includes ₹ 5908 crore to the Local Bodies, ₹ 4993 crore as interest and principal repayment of loan to Government of India, ₹ 1084 crore working losses of DTC, ₹ 1690 crore for power and water subsidy to domestic consumers, etc. Financial Support to Local Bodies 22. Sir, our Government will provide financial assistance to Local Bodies. The total financial support of ₹ 5908 crore is proposed to the Local Bodies in 2015-16 which is 14.4 per cent of the total Budget. Moreover, in view of poor financial position of North and East Municipal Corporations, we propose to give time to Corporations to set their houses in order by giving them moratorium on loan repayment. We will not follow the practice of previous regimes of recovering principal and interest of the outstanding loan liabilities in 2015-16 from the grants to the Corporations. 23. The total financial support includes ₹ 2850 crore as a share in our tax collection in 2015-16, ₹ 1394 crore as share in Stamps & Registration Fee and one time parking charges. For implementation of various developmental works under the sectors of Urban Development, Health and Education, we propose to allocate ₹ 1664 crore as plan funds to Local Bodies in this financial year. 24. Our Government is committed to support the Municipal Corporations in every possible way. Already we have shown our intent by releasing budgets to the Municipal bodies in excess of what they otherwise used to receive from the Government of NCT of Delhi in earlier years by this time of the year. We are in constant dialogue with them to encourage them to increase their resources and to rationalize their ever burgeoning expenditures. We have also approached the Central Government to help us to help the Municipal Corporations. I appeal to the Municipal Corporations through this August House to streamline their functioning so that Civic management does not suffer and people of this great city are not put to any hardship in the months to come. Reforms in Governance 25. The Participative Budgeting is a step towards democratic and transparent administration and management of financial resources which play a significant role in avoiding corruption and mishandling of public funds. Public participation ensures effective and efficient utilization of public funds resulting in implementation of vital and major public works projects. It also facilitates improved involvement, enhanced participation and integration of society, forming an active and mobilized citizenship. The objective of participatory budgeting is to provide the right to the citizens in decision making so that utilization of public funds may be according to their wishes. Sir, I highlighted at the commencement of my speech that this Budget is the first Swaraj Budget of India. 26. Sir, a new initiative “Swaraj Fund” is proposed to be created enabling the citizens in selection and implementation of programmes prioritized by them for the development of their area. I propose a budget provision of ₹ 253 crore under the Swaraj Fund Scheme. “Swaraj Fund” means the fund of citizens. While all the funds of the Delhi Government belong to the people, Swaraj fund is a new initiative in the history of budgetary process of India. An attempt was made to highlight this in the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments, and some administrative measures were taken in this direction in some rural areas through village panchayat, but they haven’t seen the light of the day. If democracy is to be instituted in its pure form, then funds, functions and functionaries of the government need to be monitored by and accountable to the citizens. I can assure the Members of this House that beginning of the Swaraj Fund will prove to be a distinctive milestone in functioning of real democracy in the Country. Each of the 70 Assembly Constituencies will be assigned a fixed amount in the coming years under Swaraj Fund. The citizens of respective Assembly Constituencies will decide how this allocated amount is to be utilized in line with their requirements. The citizens will themselves decide the priority of implementation of these developmental works. The payment towards the developmental works will be made to the contractor upon completion, only after citizens of the area give consent regarding satisfactory quality of the work. As I have already submitted that Swaraj Fund is a first such initiative in the country, therefore we have lay down some new procedures and systems. We have planned to implement it in all 70 Assembly Constituencies . However, in the first year this is being taken up in 11 Assembly Constituencies. Mohalla Meetings were organized in these 11 Constituencies to know their requirements. 40 – 50 Mohalla Meetings were organized in each Assembly Constituency which were attended by voters of the area. Citizens decided their priorities of developmental works by a process of voting carried out in these meetings. To meet these requirements, an allocation of ₹ 20 crore is proposed for each of the 11 Assembly Constituencies under Swaraj Fund. For remaining 59 Assembly Constituencies, an amount of ₹ 50 lakh each is proposed. 27. There has been utter confusion with regards to appropriate agency for maintenance, construction and implementation of capital works projects in Delhi. There are a number of agencies for public works like improvement of roads, renovation of drains, renovation of parks or street lights, but in reality none of the agencies take ownership of these public works. I am surprised to see that departments like the Irrigation & Flood Control Department, which are responsible for major works like flood control and irrigation, have been assigned the work of construction of small street drains in unauthorized colonies. Whereas the same work in unauthorized colonies has also been assigned to Municipal Corporations, PWD and DSIIDC. This status of affairs creates utter confusion not only for the citizens but even for the Hon’ble Members of this House in identifying the right agency for assigning public work. This situation leads to mismanagement and corruption. The Government has proposed to set up a new agency called “Delhi Urban Development Agency (DUDA)” in each District for execution of developmental work projects as well as maintenance of public assets. This new agency will execute the works recommended by the citizens under “Swaraj Fund” and works recommended by Hon’ble Members under “MLA Fund”. In addition, this new agency will also play a vital role in providing basic civic services and their improvement in unauthorized colonies and rural areas. 28. For better administrative control and supervision, Delhi Urban Development Agency (DUDA) in each district will be headed by the District Magistrate and who will be assisted by a team of engineers. It will facilitate in improving the accountability, efficiency and transparency in delivery of public services. Smart City- Smart Governance 29. To eliminate possible corruption and delays in issuance of various certificates at the SDM’s offices this Government has launched the edistrict services. The entire process of issuing certificate issue has been computerized. The system for verification which has been a major source of corruption, will henceforth be carried through e-systems. The Executive Magistrate will issue the certificate through digital signature. Citizens can take authenticated copies of certificates any number of times. 30. To give better access of Government services to the citizens, 12 Sub Registrar Offices have been modernized as e-Sub Registrar Offices and 3 more are under process. Payment of Court Fee has been made online for High Court and District Courts. 31. Wi-Fi is a major initiative in making Delhi a technologically advanced city. It has been identified in our interactions whether with the youth, traders, students, housewives or farmers in rural areas, that Wi-Fi is a fundamental necessity. In the run up to the elections, we had promised the availability of free Wi-Fi to the citizens of Delhi. The initiatives on this front began as soon as we assumed office. There have been many substantial rounds of discussion and consultations with area experts and many models have been thoroughly analyzed. In the first phase, free Wi-Fi services shall be launched in all colleges and rural areas. For this, a budget provision of ₹ 50 crore is proposed in 2015-16. 32. ‘Ease of doing business’ is a term that has been loosely used and conveniently interpreted to suit the circumstances. This government fully understands the contours and objectives of ‘ease of doing business’ and thereby an empowered committee has been constituted. This Committee, among other things, shall review the existing licensing system and will suggest measures to simplify the process of issuance and renewal of licenses done by various agencies of the Government, including moving towards single window clearance system. The recommendations of this committee shall be submitted by 31st July 2015, and within next two months the implementation of the recommendations shall begin. We invite traders and service providers to set up their place of business in Delhi. This government assures them that Delhi will soon become the most preferred location for doing business because of ease and speed of decision making. 33. To coordinate requests from International Organizations and other Governments of the World, this Government is setting up a cell in Finance & Planning Department. The Delhi International Cooperation Unit will act as a Nodal Agency for creating institutional capacity within our Government for developing external ties and to avail best of the technical expertise from around the world. Education 34. Speaker Sir, education is of utmost priority to this Government. We believe that education is the first step towards development and prosperity of a society. The happiness and prosperity of a society remains hollow if it does not get the fundamentals of education right. Therefore, our government is proposing a historical initiative for the bright future of Delhi. I propose a total expenditure of ₹ 9,836 crore for the Education sector in the financial year 2015-16. Of this, ₹ 4570 crore is for plan expenditure. This is 106% more than the last financial year’s plan expenditure of ₹ 2219 crore. You can see that perhaps for the first time in the country, any government is increasing its education budget by 106% i.e. more than double. This in itself is a proof of the priority given by our Government to education. I want to make it clear that our proposal on education placed before this august House is not to simply spend this amount, but is an investment in the happiness and prosperity of our future generations. 35. Sir, the proposal to double the budget in the education sector is a historic step. Our government understands the significance of this extraordinary step. We realize the responsibility of spending the tax collected by Government from people’s hard earned money judiciously. More than double the allocation for the Education sector has been arrived at after deep thought and is based on comprehensive plans for both school and higher education sector. These plans have two objectives - firstly, to make Delhi a fully literate state within the next few years and secondly, to make education relevant for students, so that in twenty years of education, we impart value education to the students along with the requisite skills. 36. The Government is working at different levels: to improve the quality of education in all government schools in Delhi, to create a learning environment in classes, to make education useful for life, to ensure requisite facilities and dignity to teachers. On one hand, teachers are being given training on “value education” as well as on the “value of education.” On the other hand, we are focussing on skill education of students from class IX to XII. The agenda of the Government is to provide modern facilities and infrastructure in all 1011 government schools. In the current financial year, we are beginning with 50 schools, which we plan to develop as Model Schools. Plans have been formulated to provide the required modern facilities in these schools, as also to motivate the teachers through specialized training. After the successful implementation of these plans in these 50 schools, we will extend them to all the Delhi government schools. 37. The student-teacher ratio in government schools of Delhi is a matter of grave concern. If a teacher has to teach a class of 80-100 students, it is but natural that the standard of education will deteriorate. We hope to recruit 20,000 regular teachers by the end of year, which will help improve this ratio. 38. While we reiterate our commitment to provide facilities in government schools and ensure dignity to our teachers, we are also taking steps to ensure accountability at school level. We propose to install CCTV Cameras in all the classrooms of government schools. 39. To encourage sports activities in schools, we have launched the ‘Pay and Play scheme,’ under which the common man can avail of the facilities in government sports complexes and stadia on nominal user charges. 40. In the current financial year, we have initiated work for setting up 236 new schools. 83 new buildings are getting constructed. Of these, construction work is in full swing for 20 schools buildings, working plans have been prepared for 25 schools and land has been identified for 38 schools. In these 83 buildings, 166 schools can be started in two shifts. In addition, 70 schools have been identified which are presently operating in single shift, but we propose to start the second shift in these schools to cater to the large number of students. 41. In Delhi, there are many unaided non-government schools, which are run by various societies and trusts. In common parlance they are called ‘Private Schools’. Many of these private schools are doing excellent work and have made notable contribution in maintaining high standard of education in Delhi. But there are serious allegations against some schools for charging arbitrary fees, extracting donations and indulging in arbitrariness in admission process etc. Recently, instances of irregularities have been reported in EWS admission scheme meant for poor students. In view of complaints relating to admission and fees in private schools, Government is proposing amendments in Delhi School Education Act & Rules, 1973. A proposal to make the process of admission and fee determination transparent will be brought before this House. 42. In addition to basic education, the government plans to substantially expand vocational education and skill development at school level itself. In the coming times, it is planned to give two certificates in the hands of every student when he passes 10+2 - one would be related to general education and the other to skill education. On one hand, the opportunity for higher education would be opened to students. On the other hand based on own skills, students will have potential for employment. 43. Competence in skills is a continuous demand of the industrial, business and services sectors. Therefore, skill development courses will be started in consultation with them. There is a proposal to start diploma and degree level skill development and vocational courses, along with certificate courses. Delhi government is planning to set up a Skill University for following laid down standards and policy in all vocational and skill development diploma/degree courses. The skill development programmes being run by various departments viz. Tourism, Urban Development, Industries, Technical Education and School Education would be brought under a common umbrella. There is a proposal for expansion of the World Class Skill Centre started in collaboration with the Government of Singapore. The Centre, presently at ITI Vivek Vihar complex, will be shifted to its own campus at Jaunapur at the earliest. 44. A new ITI building has been constructed in Mongolpuri. It would start functioning in the current financial year. There is a proposal to open three more ITIs in Ranhola, Chhatarpur and Bakkarwala. Five new Polytechnics are proposed to be set up; one each in North, North East, Central, New Delhi and West districts of Delhi. 45. Increase in the intake capacity of each existing government polytechnic by 100 is proposed. This will be done by introducing Diploma in Vocational Education in the academic year 2015-16, for which approval of AICTE has already been obtained. Bachelor’s degree in vocational courses would also be introduced in existing polytechnics complexes. 46. Provision of ₹ 310 crore is proposed for skill development programmes and for promotion of vocational education in the Budget 2015-16. 47. Construction of second campus of GGSIP University at Surajmal Vihar, with a project cost of ₹ 271 crore, will be started in the current financial year. Construction of Deen Dayal Upadhyay College complex will be completed in the current financial year and that of Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies by August, 2016. Rashtriya Uchchtar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) will be implemented for better access, equity and quality in Higher Education. 48. Incubation Centres will be set up in Universities and Colleges to promote research and development, to nurture new business ideas and technology and to convert these ideas into commercially viable products/services. Delhi will be made an attractive destination for setting up of new ventures that will increase employment and business activities in Delhi. 49. To ensure that no student of Delhi remains deprived of higher education or skill education due to financial reasons, Delhi Government is the first in the country to start a Higher Education & Skill Development Guarantee Scheme. Under this scheme, every student of Delhi, belonging to any category or economic background, would get education loan upto ₹ 10 lacs for pursuing higher education. Students will not be required to give any collateral or margin money. Government will provide credit guarantee for the loan. A Higher Education & Skill Development Credit Guarantee Fund with a corpus of ₹ 30 crore is proposed to be created in the current financial year to provide government guarantee for students’ education loans. 50. We will upgrade Netaji Subhas Institute of Technology into a University. This will give an impetus to the plans of the Institute for both academic expansion, and research and development. The present student strength of 3000 will be enhanced to 12000 over a period of five years. Additional funds have been earmarked for development of the Campus. Health 51. Sir, Poor healthcare infrastructure in Delhi is a major bottleneck in the prosperity and quality of life of citizens of Delhi. Improvement of Health services in Delhi in a holistic manner, with focus both on preventive and curative health care, along with making healthcare facilities accessible is another priority area for the Government. I propose total expenditure of ₹ 4787 crore on Health in 2015-16. This includes Plan Budget of ₹ 3138 crore which is 45% more than the plan expenditure in 2014-15 which was at ₹ 2164 crore. 52. For expansion of health care infrastructure, our Government have undertaken a detailed review of all new hospital projects under construction. To match the hospital bed requirement with the population of Delhi, our Government has taken a major policy initiative in respect of these new hospital projects. After detailed consultation, both with construction agencies and hospital management agencies, we propose to enhance the hospital bed capacity of these new hospitals. Accordingly, Hospital-cum-Medical College at Dwarka, planned for 700 beds, is now proposed to be of 1500 beds capacity. The new hospital complex at Burari, planned for 200 beds, will now have the capacity of 800 hospital beds. Similarly, the new hospital complex under construction at Ambedkar Nagar, originally planned for 200 beds, will now have 600 beds. Deep Chand Bandhu Hospital at Ashok Vihar, originally planned for 200 beds, will now have 400 beds capacity. Three new hospitals with total bed capacity of 1800 are planned at Nangloi, Siraspur and Madipur. 53. The Government is planning to purchase 10 new plots at Mehrauli-Mahipalpur, Pitampura, Mandwali-Fazalpur, Geeta Colony, Pandav Nagar, and Dwarka from DDA for augmenting the health infrastructure. There is a plan to remodel and upgrade eleven existing hospitals so as to add 4000 more beds in next two years. A Budget provision of ₹ 210 crore is proposed in the current financial year for the purchase of plots and to start the expansion work. 54. Government is planning to set up “Mohalla Clinic” in all parts of Delhi. About 500 such clinics will be opened in the current financial year. Five centralized labs with modern facility will be set up in North, South, East, West and Central Delhi during current financial year to provide diagnostic services to the patients visiting Mohalla Clinic. A budget provision of ₹ 125 crore is proposed for augmenting the primary health care facilities proposed to be delivered through “Mohalla Clinic”. 55. Construction work of 8 dispensary buildings at Molarband (Gautampuri), Madanpur Khadar Phase-I, Madanpur Khadar Phase-II, Bindapur Pocket- III, School Block Shakarpur, Rohini Sector-IV, Rohini Sector-XXI and Sawda Ghevra has been completed. 56. The PPP project for providing free dialysis to poor patients suffering from kidney failure with 40 units have been made functional at Rajiv Gandhi Super Specialty Hospital and Lok Nayak Hospital. Further, 35 more units will be setup in the current financial year. 57. The existing fleet of CAT Ambulances is proposed to be enhanced by 100 basic and 10 advanced standard life support Ambulances, again under PPP. 58. Government is planning to set up an Advance Trauma Care Centre in LN Hospital especially for sports injury rehabilitation with 100 trauma beds including ICU and OT facilities. 59. Online booking of free bed facility in 42 private hospitals for the economical weaker sections is to be made available. Medical coverage for night shelters and JJ clusters will be strengthened. 60. Government is supplementing the Universal Immunisation Programme by implementing the “Indradhanush Kawach” in a mission mode to cover all left out children. 61. Issuance of individualized health card to general public for registration and treatment at different Hospitals of Delhi Govt. is planned. Health Data record of each patient shall be saved and maintained digitally. 62. In addition to present health facilities, free medicine will be provided to the citizens of Delhi through charitable clinics/dispensaries. 63. All medicines, consumable items & medical/surgical equipments will be purchased through Centralized Procurement Agency. This not only seeks to reduce cost of purchase but also to eliminate corruption and misappropriation of funds. 64. Construction of new 100 seated Dr. BSA Medical College, Rohini started in September, 2014 has been completed. We expect the college to induct first batch of students from next session for which approvals from Central Government and Medical Council of India is being perused vigorously. 65. Indigenous systems of medicine of Ayurveda, naturopathy, Homeopathy and Unani Medical System shall be promoted. 66. To ensure food safety and to prevent food adulteration, Government has opened a Facilitation Centre for registration of Food Business Operators and the entire process for issuance of license has been made online to reduce transaction cost and enhance transparency. Around 34000 registration / licenses were issued so far to the Food Business Operators (FBO) in terms of Food Safety and Standard Act, 2006 and 40000 more are likely to be issued in 2015-16. The provisions of the Act are going to be made more deterrent and stringent for Food Business Operators violating the Act. Transport 67. Sir, “A developed country is not a place where the poor have cars. It’s where the rich use public transport– paraphrased from Enrique Penalosa. The rich will use public transport when it is reliable, safe, and predictable, and when comfort of public transport trumps the cost and difficulty of using a private vehicle. 68. I have talked of Smart city and to my mind a smart city is one which focuses on moving people rather than vehicles. It is a city which makes mobility accessible and affordable. It is a city where people walk and cycle without fear of being run over, a city which disseminates information about travel and traffic so that they can plan their trips. It is a city where public space is distributed equitably rather than it being privileged for the privileged. 69. The total proposed expenditure in Transport Sector in 2015-16 is ₹ 5085 crore. I propose Plan Budget of ₹ 3695 crore for Transport Sector in 2015-16 which is 23% more than the amount spent in 2014- 15. I propose to enhance investment in roads sector through massive private sector financing. Appropriate model of PPP will be created to attract private sector to develop, operate and maintain roads. 70. Government will procure about 1380 semi low floor buses, 500 midibuses under DTC and around 1000 more buses under Cluster scheme will be deployed by the end of 2016. We propose to bring 10,000 buses of different specifications, to meet the differentiated needs of commuters, from the private sector under the PPP Cluster scheme. To do so we will need about 500 acres of land for bus depots from DDA. Our Government is in discussion with Ministry of Urban Development for allotment of free land for bus depots. Mere accretion in numbers of buses is not adequate to incentivize people to shift to public transport. We need to give buses special right of way so that the movement of buses is unimpeded and smooth. 71. About 5500 new auto permits are being released for plying in the NCR. New bus terminals will be constructed at Dwarka, Rohini Sector-28 and Narela. These terminals will have all the passenger amenities for the convenience of bus commuters especially women commuters. About 1200 new Bus Queue Shelters are proposed to be constructed. 72. The six corridors in Phase-III Metro project has a plan for expansion of 117.57 Km of Metro Rail network in Delhi. Two corridors of Phase-III in Delhi are likely to be completed in the current financial year. The line from Central Secretariat to ITO has been made operational in June, 2015 and upto Kashmere Gate will be completed by March, 2016. The corridor from Jahangirpuri to Badli will also be completed during this financial year. The corridors from Mukandpur - Shiv Vihar, Janakpuri West22 Kalindikunj, Dwarka-Najafgarh and Mundka to Bahadurgarh are to be completed by December, 2016. About 304 new Mini buses on 64 Metro Feeder routes to be inducted in the current year. I propose ₹ 1217 crore for DMRC in current financial year. 73. Phase-II of elevated road over Barapullah Nallah from Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium to INA (Aurbindo Marg) is going to be completed in the current financial year. The work on Phase-III of this elevated road from Sarai Kale Khan to Mayur Vihar has been started in the current financial year. 74. The composite project of “Corridor Improvement from Vikaspuri to Wazirabad”, consisting of elevated roads and flyovers will be completed in the current financial year. It will facilitate the signal free movement of the traffic in this stretch of 20 Km of Outer Ring Road. About 75% of the overall work of Signature Bridge has been completed. This bridge will be opened for traffic by June, 2016. 75. A project “Construction of Parallel Flyover at RTR Junction on Outer Ring Road and underpass at BJ Marg Ring Road Junction” with a cost of ₹ 314 crore has been started and it will be completed by next year. 76. In order to provide last mile connectivity, we are promoting e-Rickshaw in Delhi. Special camps for e-Rickshaw were organized and about 24000 drivers got enrolled in these camps. The procedure for registration of e- Rickshaw has been simplified. It is proposed to give a subsidy of ₹ 15000 for purchase of e-Rickshaw to e-Rickshaw drivers from the Air Ambiance Fund as these vehicles are environment friendly. 77. Land use planning and transportation are intricately and intimately related. UTTIPEC is represented only by bureaucrats and consequently the voice of the people is not audible enough. I exhort the Government of India that if Delhi has to survive as a healthy, livable, equitable city, it is imperative that land use planning be handed over to Delhi Government so that the conception of a developed city is not the imagination of some bureaucrat’s international experience but is reflective of the pulse and requirement of the people. 78. Public Transport requires integration and dissemination of information. Today, there is an information gap about public transport. Our government will introduce ‘Passenger Information System’ to provide real-time information to commuters. This will further be integrated and made available in a mobile application. We will work towards a single fare system on a single media for payment. Women Empowerment & Security 79. Women safety & security is high on the agenda of our Government. We are committed to ensure women’s safety in Delhi. I propose a number of new initiatives for their safety. Commuters especially women need to feel safe in travelling by the buses in Delhi. We propose to install CCTV cameras in all DTC and Cluster buses. A pilot scheme for installation of CCTV cameras in 200 DTC buses has already been launched. Delhi Government has decided to depute marshals in all DTC and Cluster buses to allay the fear of crime and reassure the women commuters of safety and security. These marshals will be drawn from the Home Guards and Civil Defence who will be well trained to prevent any untoward incident, particularly, against women in these buses. This will not only check the incidents of eve teasing and violence against women but also instill confidence among them to use public transport. Delhi Government has made it mandatory for all public transport vehicles including taxis and autos to install GPS for tracking of the vehicle. For this alone, we propose ₹ 160 crore under plan funds in the current year. 80. It has been made compulsory for the drivers and conductors of all passenger service vehicles to attend the gender sensitization programme at the time of annual renewal of their vehicles road worthiness inspection. 81. There is acute shortage of working women hostels in the city. The Government is planning to construct six Working Women Hostels with active participation from the private sector. 82. Sir, in the new Education Credit Guarantee Scheme, introduced by this Government, the female students, apart from exemption for furnishing any collateral or margin money for availing the education loan, the interest rates shall for them be lower than the usual interest rates. 83. Government plans to provide creche facilities in slums and JJ clusters with the creation of 300 creches under Integrated Child Development Scheme. Nearly 1200 children living in the Government run Homes/ Institutions are to be provided vocational training for skill upgradation and earning of livelihood in collaboration with National Skill Development Council. 84. This Government is committed towards welfare of women and children and will make determined efforts in providing community support and health education to young mothers and supplementary nutrition and preschool education to small children up to the age of six years. We will shift the Anganwadi Centers to more spacious locations so as to provide better operating conditions. The quality of hot-cooked food and pre-cooked food served at Anganwadi Centers will also be enhanced through improved service delivery and strict quality control. The Government also proposes to initiate crèche facilities for the children from 0-6 years, whose mothers go to work, by upgrading the existing facilities at selected Anganwadi Centers. In the first year we are proposing to develop 300 such Anganwadi Centers with crèche facilities particularly in slums, JJ clusters and rehabilitation colonies. Further to encourage the Anganwadi workers and Helpers in carrying out upgradation of Anganwadi Centers and better management of pre-school education facilities, the Government proposes to enhance the honorarium of Anganwadi Workers. Social Security & Welfare 85. Government is making all out efforts for transparent and efficient implementation of financial assistance programmes being implemented by verification and disbursing assistance through Direct Benefit Transfer. These programmes include Old Age Pension Scheme, financial assistance to differently abled persons, and financial assistance to women in distress. I propose ₹ 927 crore for the financial assistance to about five lakh persons under these three schemes in the year 2015-16. 86. Land for construction of new Old Age Homes has been acquired at various locations. Under first phase, construction for new Old Age Homes is proposed to be started in the current year at Kanti Nagar, Chittranjan Park, Rohini, Paschim Vihar and Chattarpur. 87. For the welfare of disadvantaged groups, hostel for college going blind boy’s students will be constructed at Kingsway Camp and blind girl students at Timarpur. A mega project for setting up of an integrated complex for mentally challenged persons is planned at Narela. 88. In recognition of the sacrifice made by Defence Personnel, Paramilitary Force Personnel while on duty and who are residents of Delhi, Government has decided to give compensation of ₹ 1 crore to their family. ₹ 50 lakh will be paid immediately and ₹ 50 lakh will be kept in a deposit scheme which will be released to next of kin after 10 years. The same amount of compensation will also be given for the sacrifice made by Delhi Police, Delhi Home Guards, Delhi Civil Defence Personnel while discharging their duty. 89. Government decided to give ex-gratia relief to the farmers at the rate of ₹ 20000 per acre to compensate the crop damage caused due to climate inflicted reasons. 90. Speaker Sir, workers of unorganized sector at present are not getting social security and benefits, although they constitute a major chunk of our total workforce. Registration of these workers shall be undertaken under the Unorganized Workers Social Security Act by setting up of Workers Facilitation Centres all over Delhi. These Centres shall carry out registration, guide workers for availing various benefits and provide one window service to them. Shramik Vikas Mission has been launched to ensure payment of notified minimum wages, better welfare facilities to the construction workers and their families. 91. In Delhi, about 65 lac beneficiaries are receiving benefits under National Food Security Act. We carried out a successful pilot for sale through Point of Sale Device (PoS) at 42 Fair Price Shops. It is proposed that daily sale from all Fair Price shops will be done through PoS Device during the current year in order to ensure more transparent distribution of food grains to eligible households. Water Supply & Sanitation 92. Sir, our Government is committed to provide piped drinking water supply to each household. Still more than 800 unauthorized colonies depend on water tankers to meet their daily water requirements. Piped water supply will be extended to all these unauthorized colonies in Delhi in a time bound manner in the next three years. Work will be completed in 250 colonies in current financial year. 93. Producing required quantity of treated drinking water to meet the requirements of growing population is a formidable challenge. It becomes further complicated due to our dependence on the neighboring States. We have successfully met this challenge by increasing the water production from 835 MGD last year to 880 MGD in current year. Our endeavour is to further increase water production to 900 MGD by the end of current financial year. A new water treatment will be set up in Iradatnagar and existing water treatment plants at Chandrawal and Wazirabad will be rehabilitated to increase the water production further to meet the rising demand of the city. 94. To further augment the water availability, our government intends to use the treated effluent water of our Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) which are producing 410 MGD water out of which only 150 MGD is being utilized. A new plan scheme has been prepared to lay the necessary trunk network to supply this water to various areas for horticultural, industrial and other non-domestic uses. This will reduce stress on drinking water and will lead to optimum utilization of this valuable resource. 95. Sir, Delhi Jal Board has done commendable work in the last 4 months. It has commissioned the new water treatment plants in Dwarka and Bawana, which were built many years back. Water supply of Dwarka subcity was also taken over by DJB from DDA and improved further. Four command tanks and many underground reservoirs were commissioned taking piped water supply to a number of new colonies and villages in the command area of Dwarka and Bawana Water Treatment Plants. 96. Sir, although water and sewer services have been extended to many unauthorized colonies, the residents have not been coming forward to take connections due to high development charges. This has lead to nonutilization of existing infrastructure and denial of services to the people of these colonies. Therefore, to meet the commitment of our government to provide better civic services to the urban poor residing in unauthorized colonies, the development charges for taking water connections has been reduced from ₹ 440 per sq. mtr. to ₹ 100 per sq. mtr. Similarly, the development charge for sewer connections has also been reduced from ₹ 494 per sq. mtr. to ₹ 100 per sq. mtr. upto a plot area of 200 sq. mtr. Charges for regularization of unauthorized connection have also been reduced from ₹ 18,000 to ₹ 3300. 97. Our Government has been able to take effective action against the tanker mafia by use of information technology for effective, continuous and strict monitoring of water tankers. More than 400 tankers have been fitted with GPS and water sensors and their movement is being monitored continuously through a web based system. A new portal has been launched for “Public Monitoring of Water Tankers” enabling people to track the water tankers, find out estimated time of arrival of tanker in their colony and quantity of water coming in that tanker. 98. Sir, the progress of providing sewerage services in unauthorized colonies has been slow till now. This is because we have so far followed the model of big trunk sewers and large sewer treatment plants which are capital intensive and time consuming. So our government will go for decentralized water supply and wastewater treatment model. For this a pilot project is being undertaken in 10 colonies. A new scheme, “Jan Jal Prabandhan Yojana” will be launched to involve the community in management of water and sewerage services in a decentralized manner. 99. Sir, reducing pollution in river Yamuna and its rejuvenation is one of the priorities of our government. A major project costing ₹ 3,656 crore has been prepared to provide sewerage services in uncovered areas and to prevent flow of wastewater in Najafgarh and Supplementary drains. The project will involve setting up of 15 new STPs, 3 new Sewage Pumping Stations and peripheral sewer network. As these drains contribute to nearly 70% pollution load of river Yamuna, the project will significantly reduce pollution in river Yamuna. The project will be completed in 2 years’ period and will go a long way in rejuvenating the river Yamuna and making it clean. 100. For further abatement of pollution in River Yamuna, the project for laying of Interceptor Sewerage system along Najafgarh, Supplementary and Shahdara drains has been expedited. Three out of six packages of the project have been partially commissioned and the remaining packages will also be commissioned in next one year. Interception of waste water and its treatment in the nearest STP will bring down the pollution load in the Yamuna river significantly. 101. The sewage treatment capacity has been increased from 590 MGD to 684 MGD with the commissioning of 6 new sewage treatment plants. The work of rehabilitation of STP at Okhla, Kondli and Rithala has also been planned to improve the quality of treated effluent and increase the treatment capacity. Operationalization of STP at Ghitorni is also in the process. Optimum utilization of these STPs will be ensured and sewer network will be laid in 100 more colonies in this financial year. 102. Sir, Delhi Jal Board has prepared an ambitious plan to reduce its energy dependence and harness clean energy sources. For this it is working on generation of gas based, solar and hydro power. Gas based power generation has started in 3 STPs and it is targeted to increase gas based power generation in various plants to 1 lakh units per day. Generation of solar power in all the water and sewer treatment plants will be taken up on PPP mode. Possibilities of generating hydro power wherever feasible are also being explored. 103. Information technology will be used in a big way to provide water and sewer services to citizens in efficient and citizen friendly manner. A mobile app will be launched for “Self Meter Reading and Bill Generation” by citizens and for availing other services. We are also working on “econnection module” to enable citizens to get water and sewer connections electronically, in one sitting through their computer or mobile phone in a hassle free manner. 104. I propose Plan Budget of ₹ 1468 crore for Water Supply Sector in 2015-16. Housing & Urban Development 105. Sir, our Government is aware that affordable housing for all is a dream in Delhi, especially for the poor and weaker sections. We are committed to work towards providing affordable housing to the poor living in the slum clusters. About 23000 Economically Weaker Section (EWS) houses have already been constructed and about 29000 EWS houses are under different stages of construction. A Policy would be announced shortly for the purpose of allotment of these houses. 106. We believe that a dignified place to stay and means to livelihood is fundamental to human need and existence. Our Slum redevelopment policy framework would be practical and humane. Our Government proposes to utilize the available stock of housing and vacant lands for kick starting a slum redevelopment program in a meaningful way. Towards this end concerted efforts would be made in consultation and cooperation with DDA, Ministry of Urban Development, Government of India and other stake holders including private developers, and housing as a sector and as a basic human need of the residents of Delhi would be furthered. It would be our effort to provide housing to the slum dwellers wherever they are residing or close to their place of work, as far as feasible. We shall bring out a Policy framework for development of Slum clusters and to provide In-situ development of Slum clusters. 107. Sir, our Government is also conscious of the fact that though Delhi is growing very rapidly, there is a pressing need to decongest the mega city. Already we have initiated a dialogue with the Government of India in this regard and we shall take steps to decongest Delhi. We would pursue the various policy choices available for this purpose, including early completion of Western Peripheral Expressway, Regional Rapid Train systems, Metro Phase III-IV, Transit Oriented Development, improvement of road and work infrastructure etc. 108. Speaker Sir, we are aware that the residents of the 45 Resettlement Colonies have been waiting for decades for workable and rational Rights to their leasehold plots. We will ensure that they are given Freehold Rights to their small plots. We have already resolved in the DUSIB that original allottees and their legal heirs will get freehold rights at the rate of ₹ 10,000 per square metre and all others at the rate of ₹ 50,000 per square metre. This will give them great support and relief from exploitation. 109. Our Government is committed to protecting the interests of vast majority of residents of Unauthorized colonies. We will ensure that the people are able to transact in their assets legally and register their properties without any insecurity. For six Pilot Unauthorised colonies, we will be sending the boundary maps to the Municipal Corporations in the next few days. We will also bring about guidelines for Registration rates in the next couple of weeks. We will also provide basic infrastructure in these colonies. 110. For regularization of unauthorized colonies and providing basic facilities in these colonies, Government has decided to undertake TSM survey under the supervision of Revenue Department so that boundaries of these colonies can be determined. Thereafter, layout plans shall be sent to Municipal Corporations for approval. The mapping of development works already carried out and required to be carried out in unauthorized colonies will be done, so that decision on undertaking new development works in these colonies can be prioritized. 111. To check unauthorized construction in future in Delhi, GSDL will provide satellite image data on a regular interval to Revenue Department clearly marking the new encroachment / unauthorized construction for appropriate action by authority concerned. 112. For the purposes of achieving our objectives of Urban Development during the current financial year, I propose a plan expenditure of ₹ 1793 crore in 2015-16 for Housing & Urban Development sector. For various development works in unauthorized colonies I propose ₹ 905 crore in 2015-16 which is approx. 32% higher than the expenditure incurred in 2014-15. Power 113. Sir, this Government had delivered on the commitment of reducing of the electricity bills of households across Delhi within days of assuming office. We would also like to ensure through this august house, to the people of Delhi that unscheduled power outages will be dealt with sternly by way of imposition of heavy penalty. 114. Major task for the Government is to meet the continuously increasing power demand so as to ensure reliable and quality power supply at a reasonable cost. Keeping in view high growth in peak load of Delhi, already touched around 6000 MW this summer, transmission infrastructure needs continuous augmentation and upgradation. Government is continuously extending financial support to the transmission company for capital investment to create additional capacity of transmission/transformation. 115. For major capital projects planned by Delhi Transco Limited for implementation in 2015-16, a provision of ₹ 450 crore is proposed. These projects are for setting up of 400/220 KV grid sub-stations and transmission lines. 116. Government will provided matching contribution under the new scheme “Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS),” launched by Government of India. Objective is to strengthen the sub-transmission and distribution network in urban areas, metering of distribution / feeders and transformers etc. in urban areas and roof top solar panels. 117. The Energy Efficiency and Renewal Energy Management Centre has prepared comprehensive Rooftop Solar Policy for Delhi and intends to encourage institutions and individuals to harness solar energy and make best use of it. At present Delhi has a capacity of 7 MW grid connected projects for Solar Power. It is proposed to augment the capacity of Solar Power to 14 MW in the current financial year. 118. An Energy Conservation Fund will be created in the current financial year to finance the Energy Efficient Projects and Street Lighting etc. 119. I propose Plan Budget of ₹ 645 crore for Power Sector in 2015-16. Industries 120. Government has taken up the programme to simplify procedure for setting up of new business units in Delhi through a number of new initiatives. Under the e- Biz Project for Ease of Doing Business, steps are proposed to simplify the process of getting license and other clearances hassle free for starting business. Seven services of five departments for grant of clearances have been clubbed and linked to the e-Biz Portal of Government of India and twenty two more services are to be included in 2015-16. 121. This government will ensure the end of Inspector raj. 122. All 29 industrial areas of Delhi will be augmented with infrastructure development including ensuring roads, water, electricity, street lighting, storm water drainage, sewage facilities and local STP(wherever required). Environment 123. To improve air quality, about 12 lakh saplings will be planted in the current financial year by all concerned Government Agencies. To sensitize the students on environment issues, about 2076 Eco-clubs are functioning in schools & colleges. A project for setting up of Treatment Storage and Disposal Facility (TSDF) for disposal of hazardous waste has been planned for which 14 acre of land of North DMC has been given to DSIIDC. TSM survey of Central and Southern Ridge is proposed to be taken up in the current year. In order to facilitate ease of doing business, agencies can apply online for tree cutting permission. 124. Our Government is also acutely aware that lakhs of residents of our great city do not have adequate toilet facilities. Similarly many of our residents do not find usable public conveniences in many parts of the city. This serious deficiency in public conveniences and private toilets will be addressed in a holistic manner by this Government. We are in consultation with various agencies to assess the need and workable propositions to make and maintain these facilities. 125. The problem of open defecation particularly in slum and JJ clusters is a challenge. We are planning to check it so as to improve the hygienic conditions, provide better civic services to the urban poor and ensure clean environment. A massive programme for construction of public toilets is being taken up through DUSIB. About 4000 additional WC seats at 53 slum clusters, 130 pre fab WC seats at 4 slum clusters and 67 Mobile Toilet Vans with bio-digesters are proposed to be made available in the current financial year. 126. Setting up of waste to energy plants is being promoted by the Government for better disposal of municipal waste. A 16 MW Waste-to36 Energy Plant is operational since 2012. Second Waste-to-Energy Plant of 12 MW capacity at Gazipur is going to be made operational soon. Third Plant is being set up near Narela-Bawana Road SLF Site which will generate 24 MW electricity. These three Plants will utilize 6250 MT of Municipal Solid Waste in a scientific and environment friendly manner. 127. In order to deal with congestion and air pollution that the city experiences due to entry of commercial vehicles from bordering States, I shall make a proposal in the part B of my speech. 128. Pollution Under Control (PUC) Monitoring Centers will function on real time online basis from July, 2015, which will avoid manual interference particularly with regards to tampering of data and willful mis-reporting. Transport Department will conduct special drive to ensure proper implementation Pollution Under Control (PUC). 129. Owners of newly purchased Battery operated 4 wheelers and 2 wheelers will be given subsidy by Government of Delhi, in addition to subsidy introduced Govt. of India. This will promote eco-friendly transport in NCT of Delhi. The slabs of subsidy of Govt. of Delhi will be:-
130. I propose to provide one time fixed subsidy of ₹ 15,000/- to Battery Operated e-rickshaw owner, authorized by Transport Department and registered with Registering Authority of Transport Department. An individual can claim subsidy only on one e-Rickshaw, that is no subsidy shall be allowed on subsequent purchases by the same individual. 131. Government is committed to proceed towards complete prohibition of burning of any kind of garbage, leaves, waste, waste plastic, rubber etc. For every incident of burning of any such above stated material, the person who is found actually burning or found responsible would be liable to be penalized @ ₹ 5,000/- as prescribed by the National Green Tribunal for polluting the environment. Money so collected is being maintained as a separate fund to be utilised for improvement of the environment. 132. I now turn to Part B of my speech.
[PART B] 133. Speaker Sir, I have already enumerated the policies of the government with special emphasis on education and health sector. This government is committed to the upliftment and welfare of the poor, underprivileged and those at the bottom of the pyramid. Therefore I have tried to strike a careful balance between the requirements to mobilize more resources to fulfill the commitments made by this Government and to ensure that tax proposals do not have an adverse bearing on the common man. 134. This being perhaps, the first participatory budget in the history of India, saw involvement from stakeholders not only in expenditure planning but also in revenue augmentation. 135. My proposals keep in mind the distributive character of Delhi as an important centre of trade, and the promises made to the people of Delhi for bringing in transparency and predictability in tax administration. 136. This Government believes in providing a stable tax regime. We are not tinkering with the tax rates, barring a few clarifications to remove ambiguity in case of a certain items. We do not want to alter tax rates without due thought and analysis. We are against playing to the galleries because of a tradition that Finance Ministers have raised or reduced taxes on items in the budget. We wish to collect and mine data, do data analytics, have mutli-level consultations and studies before proposing modifications in the rate regime. 137. We are also moving towards uniform tax regime across Northern states so as to minimize the opportunities of tax arbitrage and eliminate corrupt practices. In this context, I have had successful discussions with Finance Minister of our neighboring states who expressed the same desire. The VAT rationalization proposals that this Government will recommend will be in line with the principle of uniformity in tax rates across neighboring states. 138. Value Added Tax (VAT) is the main source of revenue for the Government. It is estimated that we shall collect ₹ 24000 crore through VAT, which is 69.3% of the total revenue collections of the government. We have also noticed a growth of 37.6% in VAT collection in the last two months. 139. Most of industrial inputs are taxed @ 5% under Entry No. 84 of the third schedule of the Delhi Value Added Tax Act, 2004. Woods & timber are inputs for furniture. Accordingly, I propose to reduce the rate of VAT on wood & timber from 12.5% to 5%. 140. Different tax rates on an item with its variants causes ambiguity. To bring clarity, I propose to bring such variants to a single rate. 141. Presently, wax of different types are taxable @5%, 12.5% and 20% under entries of Delhi Value Added Tax Act schedules. It has been proposed to tax wax of all kinds @ 5% by suitably amending the existing entries. 142. Utensils of all types including pressure cookers/pans except utensils made of precious metals are currently taxable @ 5%. However, cutlery items are taxable @ 12.5%. Since these items belong to the same family, it is proposed to reduce rate of tax on all utensils and cutlery items made of metals (including pressure cookers/pans) to 5% except those made of precious metals. 143. Speaker Sir, I am not proposing any enhancement in tax rates. We believe that tax collection will improve with effective and efficient tax administration. This Government is committed to simplifying the VAT structure to make it easier for the trader community to comply with the DVAT Rules and Regulations. The compliance mechanism will be made business friendly and less expensive. The rationalization exercise of the Government will be exhaustive in terms of compliances, process, and bringing in certainty in interpretation of definition of goods. As committed in our poll manifesto, this Government is confident of improved tax collection by putting an end to the Raid Raj, seeking cooperation from the trader community, awareness campaigns among people, effective use of systems and processes, forward and backward linkages of trade information and prevention of tax fraud by plugging the porous areas of trade. 144. Speaker Sir, this Government stands committed to ensuring clean air not only for the present generation but also for future generations. We will substantially augment availability of public transport running on clean fuel. However, the alarming level of air pollution is a cause of concern for all of us. All of us are aware that large number of heavy goods diesel vehicles, enter Delhi and cause of air pollution. As an interim measure, I propose to levy a fee on entry of vehicles as follows :-
I intend to use this fund to augment environment friendly public transport system, installation of weigh-in-motion bridges, and for other initiatives to improve ambient air quality in Delhi. Public Transport buses and Taxies will not be imposed any congestion fee. 145. Speaker Sir, this Government in its Anti-Corruption drive has affected maximum number of arrests in Excise Department. Delhi is one of the few States which charges State Excise Duty at the Transport Permit Level and not at the Import Level. To streamline the liquor trade and eradicate corruption, this Government is shifting the point of levy of Excise Duty from Transport Permit level to Import Permit level. To bring additional revenue, the Government proposes to increase the retail vend fee of Corporations from ₹ 2.5 Lakh per annum to ₹ 4.00 Lakh per annum and also fee of other licenses. The unpopular Delhi Medium Liquor is proposed to be phased out during this year. The Government does not intend to increase the excise duty since the same was increased last year. Similarly, reform measures to ease renewals of Excise Licenses Hotels, Clubs and Restaurant is being done. Renewals will now not require licensees to file approvals of other departments. Renewal will be automatic and if, subsequently any violation of law is detected, the licensee will be dealt with severely. 146. This Government proposes to enhance the Luxury Tax from 10% to 15% for all applicable establishments. 147. Speaker Sir, an Entertainment Tax of ₹ 40/- is proposed to be levied on Cable TV/DTH Services. The Entertainment Tax on Cinema Halls is proposed to be enhanced from 20% to 40%. Also the Betting /Totalizator Tax is proposed to be increased from 10% to 20%. 148. Sir, I also propose to increase the registration tax by 25% of the existing rate for all categories of private vehicles registered in the name of companies and partnership firms. The proposal will not affect individuals. 149. Speaker Sir, this Government is of strong conviction that discretionary power leads to corruption and we are committed to rooting out corruption in a systematic manner. Under the present scheme of things in the Indian Stamp Act 1899 as applicable in the NCT of Delhi, the Collector of Stamp can impose penalty from ₹ 5 upto 10 times of the amount of deficit of stamp duty in case of impounded documents. I intend to rationalize the penalty @ 2% of deficit amount for every month of delay. To effectively administer the Act, I also intend to amend certain other provisions of the Stamp Act, which will provide certainty to terms and expressions used in the Act and avoid confusion in the interpretation. The proposed amendments, I am sure, will bring greater transparency in the administration of the Indian Stamp Act. 150. Speaker Sir, I am happy to announce in this August House that the Government has decided to fulfill the long pending demand of our farmers to increase the circle rate which is taken as bench mark for land acquisition purpose. The current circle rate for agricultural land was determined in March 2008 and it is time that the Government accepts the reality of the market and acknowledges the rights of our farmers. I propose to categorize the agricultural land in two categories and increase the circle rate as under :-
151. Sir, with these words, I commend the budget for consideration of the House. |
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