CII welcomes Delhi's Budget 2007-08

New Delhi, Apr 17 (UNI) Apex business body Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has welcomed Delhi's Budget 2007-08 saying it is people-oriented.

''It's a people-oriented developmental budget,'' CII's Delhi State Council Chairman Kartikeya Bharat Ram said in a statement today.

The budget had focused on urban development and social sectors -- infrastructure, transport, education, water and health -- which was an effort in the right direction, he added.

The budget with a Total Outlay of Rs 18,561 crore had Rs 9,000 crore as Plan Outlay, Rs 9,461 crore as Non-Plan and Rs 100 crore for Centrally Sponsored Schemes.

With the 11th Plan envisioning an inclusive growth with nine to ten per cent growth in GDP in the five-year period of 2007 to 2012, investments in all development sectors were needed to sustain these growth levels.

''The obvious emphasis on infrastructure especially transport will put Delhi on the right track to deal with the challenges of the 2010 Commonwealth Games and the needs of a growing modern city. It is a right step in the direction to make the capital a world-class city,'' Mr Bharat Ram said.

The budget pegged Rs 22.7 billion for developing public transport system, which would further strengthen the connectivity and access infrastructure, he added.

Complimenting the Delhi government for making 'Gender Budget', a part of the budget document, Mr Bharat Ram lauded the allocation of a sum of Rs 181 crore exclusively for women's welfare as against last years allocation of around Rs 151 crore.

To consolidate and strengthen the action for women's welfare, 45 Gender Resource Centres would also be set up during the year.

The state government's proposal to create a Directorate for Women and Child Development to focus exclusively on all schemes for welfare of women and children in order to increase their reach and effectiveness was a welcome move, he added.

Mr Bharat Ram further stated that Delhi government had not introduced any new taxes to the relief of over 16 million people of the capital. The GSDP of Delhi at current prices had also increased from Rs 91,981 crore in 2004-05 to Rs 1,05,385 crore in 2005-06 indicating growth of 14.6 per cent for Delhi as compared to the growth of 13.8 per cent at the national level.

The budget had the provision to set up two universities -- the 'Ambedkar University' and 'University of Science and Technology'; a Knowledge Park at Delhi College of Engineering; and a Nano- Technology Center at Netaji Subhash Institute of Technology, which were important milestones in the state for higher education, Mr Bharat Ram said.

While the health sector got Rs 9.95 billion; the power sector got Rs 12.5 billion; technical education Rs 6.98 billion; a whopping Rs 16.2 billion had been earmarked for Municipal Corporation of Delhi.

Under the power sector outlay, the budget had proposed to set up a 1,000 MW gas-based power station in Bawana, northwest Delhi. The plant would help improve the power situation in the capital.

Besides, the identification of 450 lakes and water bodies for conservation and development for increasing the storage of water as well as recharge of aquifers would be a step forward towards sustainable Delhi, Mr Bharat Ram said.

The government proposed to add 4,000 new beds in hospitals in the 11th Five-Year Plan, of which 1,200 beds would be added this year.

The fleet of CATs ambulances would also be increased from 35 to 300 in 2007-08, which was indicative of the efforts to bolster the health industry.

''The changing healthcare scenario of Delhi, with the setting up of world-class hospitals and the phenomenal influx of patients locally and globally provides Delhi a unique opportunity to be the forerunner in providing integrated healthcare facilities in the city,'' Mr Bharat Ram said.

The per capita income of Delhi was 61,676 in 2005-06 as compared to Rs 25,716 at the national level, indicating that the state economy was on a high growth trajectory and on track, he added.

UNI