Delhi News: The Delhi government is likely to present its budget for the 2024-25 financial year on March 4, news agency PTI reported on Thursday, citing Aam Aadmi Party sources. The Economic Survey and the Outcome Budget for the financial year 2023-24 are likely to be presented on Friday.
"The budget is likely to be tabled in the Assembly early next week. It will in all probability be presented before the Assembly on Monday," PTI quoted a source as saying. The source further stated that with 2024 being an election year, the Arvind Kejriwal led-government could make some major announcements. "This is the election year. Expect some major announcements in the budget," said the source.
This will be the first budget for AAP leader Atishi Marlena as Finance minister after she was inducted into the cabinet last year in March. The budget session of the Delhi Assembly commenced on February 15 and was supposed to end on February 21.
According to PTI, the session was extended till the first week of March, with Atishi citing a delay in the finalisation of the budget due to certain reasons and sending it for approval to the Ministry of Home Affairs. The budget is likely to have a focus on education, health, power and roads among others.
In 2023, Delhi Minister and AAP leader Kailash Gahlot presented the budget. He was allotted the finance portfolio after the arrest of former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia in the excise policy case on February 26. Sisodia was arrested by the CBI in the excise policy case. Later, he was also arrested by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) in the same case.
On a day when Manish Sisodia completed a year behind bars in connection with the liquor policy case, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal took a jibe at the Centre saying the probe agencies couldn't furnish evidence of even a rupee of corruption against Sisodia.