Budget keeps Delhi's share in central taxes unchanged; Kejriwal says step-motherly treatment

The Centre on Saturday proposed to allocate Rs 1,116 crore to Delhi in the Union Budget, keeping the national capital's share in central taxes unchanged and prompting Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to term it a "step-motherly" treatment to the city.

The Delhi government was given Rs 325 crore as share in central taxes in the 2020-21 Budget. Rs 10 crore has also been given to it for paying enhanced compensation to the 1984 Sikh riot victims. The same amount had been given in the 2019-20 Budget.

The Centre allocated Rs 626 crore as central assistance against Rs 472 crore in the last budget. Apart from this, the grant for the Delhi Disaster Response Fund remained unchanged with an allocation of Rs 5 crore.

The AAP dispensation has been demanding that the share in central taxes and duties for Delhi be increased.

Taking to Twitter, Kejriwal said a "step-motherly" treatment has been meted out to Delhi in the Union Budget.

"When Delhi doesn't figure in BJP's priorities, why should people vote for it?" Kejriwal said.

"Delhi had high expectations from the Budget, but step-motherly treatment has been meted out to it again," he tweeted in Hindi.

The AAP national convenor asked when the BJP was "disappointing" Delhi before the assembly elections, scheduled on February 8, "Will it fulfil its promises after the polls?"