Budget session of Delhi Assembly begins

New Delhi, Mar 22: The Budget session of Delhi Assembly began today with Lt Governor Najeeb Jung enunciating achievements of the AAP government in education, health and transport sectors and anti-corruption initiatives in its first year.

In his address to the legislators, Jung listed the steps taken in the field of education, including the proposal to build 25 school buildings and nearly 8,000 classrooms and reforms brought about by amending the Delhi School Education Amendment Bill.

Mohalla clinics figured in the list of steps taken to bring about improvement in the health sector while the proposal to induct 1,000 new low-floor buses was mentioned by Jung with regard to measures being taken to augment public transport.

Jung said that the Delhi government is committed to making the city corruption free and a move towards this was the passage of the Lokpal Bill which has now been sent to the Centre for approval. Later, Transport Minister Gopal Rai moved a motion thanking Jung.

In his speech, Rai emphasised that the AAP government's mantra is "honesty", the prime factor behind its "unprecedented success" and the upcoming Budget will "only take this forward".

Talking to reporters, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said the government was "sad" about the fact that the Centre was "sitting" on the Bills passed by the Assembly including the Lokpal Bill and the proposed legislation recommending hike in salaries of legislators.

Sisodia will present the Budget on March 28. The five-day session, that will not see any new Bill being introduced, will conclude on March 31.

The House also condoled the death of army jawans in an avalanche in Siachen Glacier last month and observed silence in the memory of Mehtab Chand Jain, former member of Delhi Metropolitan Council and former MLA Krishan Tyagi.

PTI