Delhi budget keeps focus on healthcare, education

NEW DELHI: The Delhi government on Wednesday consolidated its pro-poor policies with a major thrust on revamping school education and healthcare, proposing to spend onefourth of Delhi’s ~48,000-crore budget on the social sector over the next financial year.

The budget, presented by Delhi finance minister Manish Sisodia, stayed away from imposing any new tax on citizens for the third year in a row.

There was no proposal for levying new taxes because the implementation of the proposed goods and services tax from July 1 was likely to overhaul the indirect tax regime across the country.

However, the Delhi government reduced VAT rates on certain items.

The price of sanitary napkins, plywood, blackboards, particle boards and granite is likely to come down because the VAT imposed on them has been reduced from 12.5% to 5%. Sanitary napkins costing up to ~20 will be tax-free.

The highest allocation of ~11,300 crore was earmarked for the education sector. The funds will be used for constructing 10,000 new classrooms, providing tablets to teachers, and distributing bananas and eggs among students under the midday meal scheme.

Expanding the reach of the scheme, Sisodia said it will be extended to girl students from classes 9 to 12.

His budget also proposed the setting up of early childhood centres, besides the installation of computer labs and libraries at government schools.

The health sector came second on the government’s list of priorities, with an allocation of ~5,736 crore — almost 12% — of the total budget outlay.