Bugdet for 2006-07 passed by voice vote

New Delhi, Mar 16 (UNI) Delhi Assembly today passed the state's budget for 2006-07 by a voice vote.

Concluding the four-day long debate on the budget, Delhi Finance Mininster A K Walia said it would herald all round development of the national capital and catapult it to international standards.

He said unlike the previous BJP Governments, he was able to spend the money provided to the state by the Central Government.

''We had not only been successful in using money whereever it was required but also sought to spend more funds on almost all fronts,'' he added.

The minister also enumerated progress made by the Government on various counts in the last fiscal.

He indicated that the state would request for additional funds from the Centre for its development and build up to the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

On March 9, Dr Walia had presented a Rs 2059.43 crore deficit budget for 2006-07 but cheered up citizens by reducing the prices of cooking gas, desi ghee, footwear and few other key items even while introducing no new tax.

Today, the opposition BJP alleged that the minister had misled the House as the price of LPG had not come down and proposed to move ''Privilege motion'' against him.

On his part, the minister said he was in touch with the union government over the issue and would also be speaking to the Empowered Committee on VAT, Chairman Asim Dasgupta.

''The State Sovernment had decided to bear a loss of Rs 100 crore so that Delhiites receive some benefit and we would make all efforts to ensure this'', he added.

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