This budget for poor and middle classes: Kejriwal

Describing the AAP government's maiden budget as one for the poor and middle classes, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday said it was a historic budget as it endeavoured to fulfill the hopes of the common man.

"This is a budget of the poor and middle class people. With this budget, we have tried to live up to the expectations of the public. We did what we promised," Kejriwal said at a press conference in the Delhi assembly complex after the presentation of the budget for the 2015-16 fiscal.

He said the budget was prepared after seeking opinion from the public which made it special.

"This is a participatory budget. This budget is not prepared while sitting in an air-conditioned room. This is a budget of people's hope and trust...."

The chief minister said this budget was for everyone -- youth, women, businessman as well as students.

He said taxes were not increased in this budget, which would be of great help to the common man.

"Governments do not develop the city or state, they only provide an atmosphere for development as real development is done by the people. Through this budget we have made an investment in the people of Delhi. Education and health sectors are our biggest investments," Kejriwal said.

"If people in Delhi get good quality education and healthcare services, they can make Delhi the world's best city," he added.

Admitting that he does not have much knowledge of history, Kejriwal said: "I don't think that any government in independent India has increased the budget allocation for education by 106 percent."

This would facilitate good quality education for the poor people as well, he observed.

He said special attention would be paid to the education sector. Government schools would be provided modern infrastructure and quality education.

"As a pilot project, 50 schools will first be provided modern infrastructure and quality education. Later we will implement this in all schools. We had promised to construct 500 schools in five years, out of which 236 schools will be opened in one or two years," he said.