NEW DELHI: The Delhi government, led by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has unveiled a budget of Rs 76,000 crore, featuring a pioneering initiative – the ‘Mukhyamantri Mahila Samman Yojna’, ahead of the Lok Sabha polls 2024. Finance Minister Atishi, presenting the 10th budget of the Arvind Kejriwal-led government, announced a monthly stipend of Rs 1,000 for all women aged 18 and above in the national capital.
“The Kejriwal government will give monthly Rs 1,000 to every woman aged 18 years and above under Mukhya Mantri Mahila Samman Yojna,” revealed Delhi Finance Minister Atishi during her ‘Ram Rajya’ budget presentation in the state assembly.
Women account for almost 50 percent of the voters in Delhi. The latest data shows out of 1.47 crore voters, 67.3 lakh are females. The move, aimed at empowering women and addressing financial disparities, allocates Rs 2,000 crore for the Yojana. Atishi emphasised the government’s commitment to fostering equal opportunities and challenging traditional socio-economic norms.
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Delhi’s Finance Minister also underscored the transformative role of the Kejriwal government in education, stating, “The Kejriwal government has built 22,711 new classrooms since 2015. Education has been the priority of our government… This year, we have made a provision of Rs 16,396 crore for education.”
The budget reflects a comprehensive approach, with Rs 8,685 crore allocated for the health sector in the fiscal year 2024-25. Atishi’s maiden budget speech outlined the government’s commitment to realising the vision of ‘Ram Rajya’ and presented a holistic picture of a changing Delhi.
“In 2014, the GSDP of Delhi was 74.95 lakh crores, and in the last ten years, the GSDP of Delhi has increased two and a half times to ₹11.08 lakh crores,” noted Atishi, highlighting the city’s economic growth. She pointed out that the per capita income of Delhi has surged to 4.62 lakhs, two and a half times more than the national average.
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On Friday the AAP Minister had presented this year’s Economic Survey in the assembly stressing the achievements in the economic landscape, citing a 22 percent rise in per capita income, the fastest GSDP growth, an 18 percent hike in tax collection, lower inflation, and unemployment rates. The survey showcased Delhi as the third-highest in per capita income nationally, behind Sikkim and Goa.
According to official figures for 2021-22, Delhi was placed third in the list of per capita income behind Sikkim and Goa.The Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) of Delhi at current prices is likely to reach ₹11,07,746 crore in 2023-24 with a growth of 9.17 percent, claimed the Economic Survey presented by Atishi.