Dikshit's election year budget focuses on social sector

Dikshit allocated Rs 16,000 cr to plan expenditure for 2013-14 of Rs 37,45 cr Budget for 2013-14

Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit today presented last budget of her government with a focus on social sectors, allocating nearly 65% of plan outlay to this crucial area in an election year.

Dikshit, who also holds finance portfolio, allocated Rs 16,000 crore to plan expenditure for 2013-14 of the Rs 37,45 crore Budget for 2013-14. Of the plan outlay, Rs 10,351 crore would be for the social sector.

In her budget speech, she outlined the development activities taken up by her government in several sectors, including infrastructure, health, water and transport.

There is an increase of 33% in the allocation for health sector from Rs 1,872 crore to Rs 2,419 crore, Dikshit said.

The chief minister said she wanted Delhi to be the health and wellbeing capital of the country with emphasis on the holistic development of the sector.     

she expressed confidence that the city government is on track to grow by nine% in the current financial year compared to five% at the national level.

"Delhi is on the track to grow by nine% compared to five% of national average... The per capita income in Delhi is Rs 2,01,083. It has gone up by five times since this government took over. In 1998 when we came to power it was Rs 40,060," she said.     

This is the consecutive third term of Dikshit-led Congress government in the capital, which will go to polls later this year.      

Dikshit said her government has constructed 65 flyovers during a period 2009-13, the first four years of her third term.