Delhi allocates 24% of its Budget for education

The Delhi government has allocated Rs 11,300 crore, almost a quarter of its Rs 48,000 crore Budget, to the education sector, Finance Minister Manish Sisodia said here on Wednesday.

"Education is the most important segment of this government. In this Budget, we are now focusing on improving the quality of education in government schools," Sisodia said in the Delhi assembly.

"The allocation for education is Rs 11,300 crore which is 24 per cent of the total Budget."

"We were the first government to allocate maximum share to the education (sector) and this is the consecutive third year that we have been doing that," the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader said.

The Delhi government in the last financial year allocated Rs 10,690 crore for the education sector.

Sisodia said 24 new schools will start functioning this year while construction of 10,000 new class rooms will start during the next fiscal.

"Introduction of pre-primary classes in 156 government schools will be started in 2017-18 with upgraded infrastructure facilities."

Out of its Rs 48,000 crore Budget for the next financial year, the Delhi government has earmarked Rs 5,736 crore for health and Rs 5,506 crore for transport.

Sisodia, who is also the Deputy Chief Minister, said 110 Mohalla Clinics are functional in Delhi and the number will be increased to 150 by the end of March.

"The government aims to set up 1,000 such clinics in the next financial year."

The number of polyclinics -- secondary healthcare centres -- will be increased from the existing 23 to 150 over the next financial year, he said.

For improving the public transport system in the city, 736 more buses under cluster scheme will be added during 2017-18, the AAP leader said.

--IANS

vv-am/ruwa/vt