‘Target to raise per capita income to match Singapore’s’
DELHI’S CONTRIBUTION TO THE COUNTRY’S GDP IS 4.4% DESPITE HAVING ONLY 1.49% OF THE COUNTRY’S POPULATION
NEW DELHI: The Delhi government’s aim is to raise Delhi’s per capita income to be on a par with that of Singapore by 2047, deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said on Tuesday, while taking part in a virtual meeting chaired by Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
He said Delhi’s growth rate has reached 11-12% in the last six years and the per capita income is three times the national average. Tuesday’s meeting was aimed at improving the country’s economy and accelerating the pace of development in states, officials in the know of the matter said.
“Delhi’s contribution to the country’s GDP is 4.4% despite having only 1.49% of the country’s population. The service sector accounts for 85% of Delhi’s gross domestic product (GDP). The Kejriwal government’s special focus is on health, education and environment. But, the lack of land with the Delhi government is the biggest challenge in the all-round development of the city. We expect cooperation from the central government on this,” Sisodia said.
On the infrastructure front, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led government said it is redesigning 540km of roads in Delhi, at a cost of ₹11,000 crore.
“The Delhi government is currently funding this project with its own funds, but it expects the Centre to contribute as well. People from all over the world visit Delhi...and they should have a positive impression of the country after seeing the roads here,” he said.
Sisodia also apprised the Union finance minister of the slew of measures his government has taken, including implementation of the Delhi Electric Vehicle Policy, to tackle rising pollution.
He observed that e-vehicles are adopted in such large numbers in developed countries because these countries also invest in setting up a large number of charging stations and necessary infrastructure.
He said his government also intends to make Delhi the country’s e-vehicle capital.
“The Delhi government requires the Centre and Delhi development Authority (DDA)’s cooperation in this direction because the DDA owns the majority of land in Delhi. The Delhi government has purchased 1,000 e-buses in order to reduce pollution. In the coming days, the Delhi government intends to purchase 4,000-5,000 more e-buses, for which the central government will be required to cooperate,” Sisodia said.