Delhi Assembly budget session extended till first week of March

The Delhi Assembly’s Budget Session, initially scheduled to conclude on February 21, has been extended until the first week of March.

Finance Minister Atishi informed the Assembly of the delay in finalising the budget, attributing it to necessary approvals from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the Presidential assent, which are anticipated to take 10-15 days.

Atishi clarified that the delay was a procedural matter, acknowledging that it was “a delay on our part,” without levying any accusations.

The extension comes amidst queries from opposition BJP MLAs, who questioned the reasons behind the delay. Atishi explained the circumstances, emphasising the requisite steps for budget approval.

The Budget Session commenced on February 15 and will now continue into the first week of March, accommodating the procedural requirements for finalizing and obtaining approvals for the budget.

The budget session of Delhi’s assembly will bring significant focus to road development in rural areas of the national capital. It is anticipated that a notable rise in allocations to the development department will be proposed. This increase is primarily aimed at a planned project to refurbish approximately 1,000 kilometers of rural roads, benefiting nearly 360 villages, both rural and urbanized.

The key objective of this project is to resurface all the roads in villages that have deteriorated or become non-motorable over time, enhancing the connectivity and infrastructure of these areas.

In previous discussions about the budget, the government outlined priority areas, including water, power, health, and education. Additionally, the budget is set to introduce the “Business Blasters” program for final-year and pre-final-year students in colleges. This initiative is an extension of the existing scheme in Delhi government schools.

The 2023-24 budget had a substantial focus on a ‘Clean, Beautiful, and Modern Delhi’, allocating a significant portion of Rs 78,800 crore to this endeavor. Furthermore, Rs 21,000 crore was earmarked for infrastructure development across Delhi.