AAP govt promises ‘outcome budget’, contract with people

SESSION STARTS MONDAY

AT THE Delhi Assembly Budget session, set to begin from Monday, all budgetary allocations will be accompanied by a comprehensive set of quantifiable indicators, measuring outputs and outcomes. In a first-of-its-kind plan, the government plans to put forward, along with a list of schemes, a definitive timeline for their implementation, what outcome they may have, and how they may affect people.

“For the first time, a comprehensive outcome budgeting exercise has been carried out by each department wherein all major programmes and schemes have been mapped against outputs that are measurable, and outcomes such as how people would benefit from the spending. Indicators have been defined for each output and outcome and targets for 2017-18 have been set,” said the government.

“Extra attention has been paid to ensure indicators are specific and measurable, and comparable across similar institutions such as hospitals, engineering colleges, skill-training programmes,” the government said.

A government statement said, “Under the Aam Aadmi Mohalla Clinics scheme, the total financial outlay for 2017-18 will be accompanied by output indicators measuring the number of new Mohalla Clinics that are going to be launched, the number of medical and para-medical staff to be deployed, and amount of free medicines to be made available. The outcome indicators will track the number of patients availing the services, as well as satisfaction score on a scale of one to five.”

Elaborating on this, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said, “A traditional budget emphasises only on financial outlays and spending on various activities but stops short of promising outcomes that citizens care about. This outcome budget will constitute a contract between the Delhi government... and the people of Delhi.”