Sops expected in election year Delhi budget tomorrow

New Delhi, Mar 23 (UNI) Delhi Finance Minister Dr A K Walia is expected to offer a variety of sops in the 2008-09 budget to be tabled in the state assembly tomorrow.

While no new taxes are expected, with assembly elections to be held shortly, the budget may have several sops for a cross-section of the society.

The Shiela Dikshit government is likely to provide additional resources to strengthen the education, road, water and health sectors. The Planning Commission has already approved Rs 10,000 crore annual plan for Delhi which is Rs 1000 crore more than the last plan.

After the introduction of the Value Added Tax (VAT) regime, there is little scope of fresh taxes though there were plans to levy tax on keeping pets. But Delhi Congress chief J P Agarwal had recently protested the proposed move.

The 2008-09 Budget was given a final shape during a meeting held at Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit's residence here this afternoon.

This would be Dr Walia's fifth consecutive budget.

The Congress has ruled Delhi for 10 years, although it lost the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) polls to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) last year.

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