Page 9 - Delhi Assembly

Kailash Gahlot presents Rs 78,800-cr Budget for 2023-24 in Delhi Assembly

Finance Minister Kailash Gahlot on Wednesday presented a Rs 78,800 crore budget in the Delhi Assembly for the financial year 2023-24. The Delhi government's budget size for 2022-23 was Rs 75,800 crore and Rs 69,000 crore in the previous year. This was the first time that Gahlot presented the budget after getting charge of the finance department following the resignation of deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia who was arrested by the CBI in connection with the Delhi excise policy scam case. "I would have been happier if it this budget was presented by Manish Sisodia who is like my elder brother. The budget is an expression of expectations and aspirations of the people," Gahlot said in his budget speech. The minister said the budget is dedicated to a clean, beautiful and modern Delhi. This is the ninth consecutive budget of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government. "Every possible help will be given to the MCD to remove the three mountains of garbage in Delhi. We will connect all colon

Delhi Assembly session from Mar 17, Gahlot to present budget on Mar 21

Delhi Assembly's budget session will be convened from March 17 and the budget will be presented on March 21, officials said on Sunday. This will be the first time since AAP came to power in Delhi in 2015 that the budget will not be presented by senior party leader and former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, who held the finance portfolio. The budget, this year, will be presented by Revenue Minister Kailash Gahlot, who has been handed over the reins of the finance department following Sisodia's arrest in the excise policy case on February 26 and his resignation from the cabinet. After getting the finance portfolio, Gahlot has held several meetings with the ministry officials. Even before Sisodia's arrest, Gahlot was part of the budget-related meetings. "The budget session of the Delhi Assembly will commence on March 17 and the budget will be presented on March 21," said an official. The session will begin with Lt Governor VK Saxena's address. The 2022-23 budget was presented

Delhi Assembly approves additional Rs 1,028 crore for Yamuna cleaning

The Delhi Assembly, on the last day of the Winter Session on Thursday, approved a supplementary grant of Rs 1,028 crore for cleaning the Yamuna and for the Delhi Jal Board

Delhi Assembly approves grant of Rs 1,028 crore for DJB, cleaning of Yamuna

The Delhi Assembly on Thursday approved a supplementary grant of Rs 1,028 crore for the Delhi Jal Board and to speed up work for cleaning the Yamuna.

AAP, BJP hold protests in Delhi Assembly premises over various issues

Ruling AAP and opposition BJP MLAs staged protest in Delhi Assembly premises on Thursday over various issues

Amid heavy ruckus in Delhi Assembly, AAP MLA waves bundle of notes

"The contractors collect the money from staffs. I complained to the DCP, CS and L-G. Despite the complaint, no action has been taken so far"

BJP leaders protest outside Delhi Assembly over pollution in Yamuna river

BJP MLAs on Wednesday held a protest outside the Delhi Assembly over the issue of pollution in Yamuna river. Carrying bottles filled with ''heavily polluted" Yamuna water, the BJP leaders said they will raise the issue inside the House. Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly Ramvir Singh Bidhuri said supply of dirty water from Yamuna was harming the health of the people. "It is causing cancer and damaging kidney and liver as well as leading to other ailments. The Modi government has provided the AAP government Rs 2,500 crore for cleaning Yamuna," he said. "We want to ask Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal where did this money go because a report of his own government has said that Yamuna has been polluted 200 per cent more in the eight years of AAP rule," he said. Bidhuri said the issue will be raised in the Assembly and if it is not debated upon, they will stage further protests over the issue. "A notice has been given for a debate over the issue. If the government runs away from

Delhi assembly: BJP alleges scams in govt, demands Kejriwal's resignation

BJP MLAs on Tuesday wore black clothes and turbans to the Delhi assembly to protest against alleged corruption and scams of the AAP government and demanded that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal resign from the post. BJP member Ajay Mahawar alleged corruption in the purchase of buses, excise policy and the working of the Delhi Jal Board. He said the "dishonest" government of Kejriwal is shielding Manish Sisodia, who is "accused of gross corruption", while one of his ministers, Satyendar Jain, is in jail on corruption charges. This is the second day of the three-day session of the assembly that started on Monday. "We are against the corrupt government of Delhi. Scam in making classrooms, in buses and in liquor policy, overall this government is only doing corruption and the chief minister should resign. We demand that he should be removed. We are wearing black clothes to mark our protest against this corrupt government," BJP MLA Vijender Gupta said. On Monday, amid protest by MLAs of

Delhi Assembly adjourned for the day after AAP protest against LG Saxena

The Delhi assembly was adjourned for the day, amid protest by MLAs of the ruling AAP against Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena's alleged interference in the working of the city government. The assembly saw repeated adjournments on the first day of its three-day session and hardly 10 minutes of proceedings could be held. The House was first adjourned for 10 minutes following a war of words between Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and BJP members over alleged interference of Saxena in the working of the city government. AAP legislator Saurabh Bhardwaj had initiated a discussion on calling attention motion on the issue of "Illegal and unwanted obstructions and interferences in the education of children and training of teachers". After the House reconvened, AAP MLAs again started raising slogans against the lieutenant governor over his "objections" to sending Delhi government teachers for a training programme to Finland, following which the speaker again adjourned the House for half an ...

Delhi Assembly session to begin today; tussle with Guv to be discussed

There is a possibility of discussion on the issue that the elected government should retain the right to give orders to the officials for development works in Delhi

Finance dept creating roadblocks in bringing pro-people welfare projects

The Delhi Assembly's Petitions Committee on Wednesday accused the city government's Finance department of creating roadblocks in implementing pro-people welfare projects, such as Yamuna cleaning, laying of water pipelines and disbursal of pension to the elderly. Committee member Saurabh Bhardwaj said data entry operators engaged in hospitals for years had been sacked after the Finance department impeded the disbursal of their salaries. Government healthcare facilities have been working without them for six months, he said. Funds for the Delhi Jal Board have been frivolously withheld for the last six months, derailing essential projects such as cleaning of the Yamuna, drinking water pipelines and laying sewerage lines. Within the Social Welfare department, objections are repeatedly raised by the Finance department on pension of the elderly, due to which they have to wait for months for pension, Bhardwaj as quoted was saying in a statement. "The Finance department of the Delhi ...

Delhi sets up 586 teams for inspection as GRAP Stage III kicks in

Latest stage imposed when air quality touched 'severe' levels with the overall AQI reaching 400 at 12:10 a.m. on Saturday

5 BJP MLAs suspended from Delhi Assembly amid ruckus over education scam

The AAP also accused Delhi L-G Vinay Kumar Saxena of the Rs 1400 crore scam when he was the President of Khadi Gramodyog

3 BJP MLAs marshalled out of Delhi Assembly for entire special session

Three BJP MLAs were on Thursday marshalled out of the Delhi Assembly for the entire session following an argument with Deputy Speaker Rakhi Birla who did not heed their demand to take up their calling attention notices before a discussion on the no-confidence motion. The rest of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs walked out of the House soon after. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government had brought in the no-confidence motion on Monday to show that the alleged "Operation Lotus" of the BJP had failed in Delhi. Birla said no calling attention notice will be taken up till the no-confidence motion is debated and voted on. Opposing it, Leader of Opposition Ramvir Singh Bidhuri said there are a lot of issues to be discussed in the assembly -- "there is shortage of drinking water, Delhi is the world's most polluted capital...there are health-related problems". He said there was no need to enact a "drama" to prove Arvind Kejriwal enjoys the support of his MLAs. Birla said no-confidence

Delhi Assembly adjourned for day as AAP MLAs seek CBI probe into 'Op Lotus'

Delhi Assembly proceedings were adjourned till Thursday following slogan shouting by ruling AAP MLAs who demanded a CBI probe into the alleged "Operation Lotus" by the BJP. As soon as the House assembled for a discussion on the confidence motion on Wednesday, BJP MLA Vijender Gupta asked Deputy Speaker Rakhi Birla to take up his calling attention motion, even as Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Atishi tried to raise the issue of alleged "Operation Lotus" of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Members of both sides shouted slogans, prompting Birla to adjourn the House till 11.30 am. Gupta's calling attention motion concerned alleged corruption in the construction of classrooms in Delhi government schools. When the House reconvened, Gupta asked Birla under which rule she allowed Atishi to make a statement on issues other than the no-confidence motion. Atishi alleged that the BJP is an "anti-women party as its members do not allow a woman to speak while another woman is in the chair". She al

Delhi BJP MLAs decide to hit the streets alleging corruption by AAP govt

BJP MLAs on Tuesday decided to "halt" their protest at the Delhi Assembly but said they will hit the streets and continue their agitation against the alleged corruption of the AAP government. The BJP MLAs were marshalled out of the House for the third day amid multiple adjournments and sloganeering by the leaders of both the ruling AAP and BJP. Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Ramvir Singh Bidhuri had earlier said the MLAs will sit on a night-long protest for the second consecutive day to demand a probe into various scams by the Delhi government. Later in a statement, BJP MLA Vijender Gupta said they are "halting" their dharna inside the Delhi Assembly premises. "The BJP MLAs have vowed to continue their agitation demanding reply in serious cases of financial irregularities emerging in the Excise Policy 2021-22 and construction of classrooms," he said. He said CM Arvind Kejriwal along with his deputy Manish Sisodia cannot evade people's questions for long. "There is irrefuta

Delhi Assembly Secretariat bans entry of MPs in premises after MLA protests

In view of the tense situation due to the overnight protest at the Assembly premises by MLAs of the ruling AAP and opposition BJP, the Assembly Secretariat on Tuesday issued an order banning the entry of MPs and political party leaders in its premises. BJP leader and South MP Ramesh Bidhuri, however, arrived at the Assembly reception and also told reporters that all his party MPs will take part in the session, irrespective of the Secretariat order. He was stopped at the gate. The deputy speaker has observed that as members from the ruling and opposition parties are staging protests inside the Assembly complex, security arrangements should be tightened in and around the Assembly complex to ensure no untoward incidents take place, the order read. It said only one visitor, accompanied by an MLA, will be allowed to enter the Assembly complex after identity verification. However, Members of Parliament or political party leaders shall not be allowed to enter the Assembly complex keeping i

Operation Lotus: CM Kejriwal tables confidence motion in Delhi Assembly

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday tabled a confidence motion in the Delhi Assembly, saying it was meant to prove that the BJP's 'Operation Lotus' may have been successful in other states but it failed here as all AAP MLAs are "hardcore honest". He said the BJP could not poach any of the AAP MLAs. He also alleged that the BJP will try to topple the Jharkhand government in the next 15 days. Kejriwal said the current central government is the "most corrupt" as it is "buying MLAs" by taxing the common people, while it is waiving loans of its billionaire friends. The House was later adjourned for the day amid an uproar over allegations that Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena pressured his employees to exchange demonetised currency notes worth Rs 1,400 crore in 2016 when he was the chairman of the Khadi and Village Industries Commission. Earlier, challenging the BJP to buy even one AAP MLA, Kejriwal said, "The confidence motion is to show that 'Operation Lotus' could have been

CM tables confidence motion in assembly, says BJP's mission failed in Delhi

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday tabled a confidence motion in the Delhi Assembly, saying it was meant to prove that 'Operation Lotus' could have been successful in other states but failed here as all AAP MLAs were "hardcore honest". Maintaining that the BJP's 'Operation Lotus' to topple his government failed as it could not poach any of the AAP MLAs, Kejriwal alleged that the BJP will try to topple the Jharkhand government in the next 15 days. He also accused the Centre of waiving loans of billionaires but not that of students and farmers. The present central government is the "most corrupt" one as they buy MLAs, he alleged. Challenging the BJP to buy even one MLA of the AAP, Kejriwal said, "The confidence motion is to show that 'Operation Lotus' could have been successful in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and other states but failed here in Delhi. It is also to show that every AAP MLA is hardcore honest". Kejriwal further charged that the BJP toppled Manipur, Bihar, Assam,

BJP MLAs hold mock Assembly session, slam AAP govt over liquor "scam"

A day after being marshalled out from the special session of the Delhi Assembly, BJP MLAs held a mock house sitting on Sunday and slammed the AAP government over the alleged liquor "scam". The mock assembly session was held at the Ambedkar International Centre during which BJP members wore masks to impersonate Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia and other ruling party MLAs. The eight BJP MLAs were marshalled out for the entire day over alleged video recording of the special session on Friday. During the moak session, the MLAs took turn to ask questions and slam the Kejriwal government over the alleged liquor "scam", which they could not do in the House on Friday. They asked why Kejriwal government withdrew it's excise policy after a CBI probe was recommended by the LG V K Saxena. "The Kejriwal government did not open a single school or hospital in entire East Delhi but dotted it with liquor stores everywhere," charged Rohtas Nagar MLA Jitendra ...