Respected Speaker and Hon

ADDRESS

SHRI TEJENDRA KHANNA

HON'BLE LT. GOVERNOR, DELHI

THE FOURTH DELHI LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY

BUDGET SESSION (15th June, 2009)

Respected Speaker and Hon'ble Members of the Legislature,

I extend a warm welcome to all of you to the Budget Session of The Legislative Assembly of Delhi for the year 2009.

My Government has begun its work in right earnest by resolving to take immediate steps to fulfill the promises made to the people of Delhi and has rededicated itself to the task of nation building, with a vision to make Delhi a world class city, imbibing our traditional culture of hospitality. My Government will take measures to ensure that all the ongoing projects are expeditiously completed so that all sections of the society can reap the benefits of development. The Government is committed to the upliftment of the poor, most vulnerable, backward classes, minorities and the deprived sections of the society. Hence social sector development will be the cornerstone of all its activities.

TRANSPORT SECTOR

The Road Transport sector continues to be a priority area for my Government. The plan outlay for the financial year 2008-09 was kept at Rs. 1241.86 crores, which was utilized to almost 99%.

In the current financial year the thrust will be on further improvement of the public transportation system & development of infrastructure, through the expansion of the MRTS. Work on Phase-II of MRTS project has already commenced & is in full swing. Under Phase II, approximately 120 kms of Metro line will be added before the Commonwealth Games to ensure connectivity to the neighboring States also, totaling a length of 185 Kms.

3800 new buses are proposed to be purchased in time for the Commonwealth Games-2010, both low-floor and semi-floor buses, augmented with air-conditioned buses, to provide public transport a competitive edge over the private transport. It is planned to augment the fleet to 6600 buses, to meet the requirements of Delhites.

In order to reduce the congestion at the existing ISBTs, it is proposed to develop two new ISBTs at Dwarka and Narela. There is also a proposal of modernization of the existing ISBTs at Kashmere Gate, Sarai Kale Khan & Anand Vihar.

We have also decided to corporatise the private stage carriage (blue line) buses, to eliminate the nexus of individual operators. The process of phasing out of blue line buses shall be started immediately.

HEALTH SECTOR

We are committed to expand the Health infrastructure & facilities in NCT of Delhi. During the current financial year (2009-10), six Allopathic, four Ayurvedic, five Homeopathic and one Unani dispensaries will be opened; OPD services in one Mother & Child Hospital have been commissioned. OPD services in ILBS have also commenced. Construction of 750-bedded teaching hospital at Dwarka and 200-bedded hospital at Kokiwala, has been started. Land has been taken over for 200-bed hospitals at Chhatarpur, Madipur, Jwalapuri, Ambedkar Nagar and Bamnauli.

Construction work of 500 bedded Ward Block in GTB Hospital, Orthopedic Block in LNJP Hospital, EDP-cum-referral in GTB Hospital and Chaudhary Brahm Prakash Ayurvedic Charak Sansthan in Khera Dabur, is in full swing.

My Government has also taken steps to upgrade the existing facilities in the hospitals for the Commonwealth Games and Polyclinic at the Commonwealth Games Village, to provide 24 hrs medical services.

Delhi State Health Mission has been launched with the objective of providing equitable quality health care to all, and it will strengthen the existing health care infrastructure & provide coverage to un-served areas through primary urban health centers, and schemes like MAMTA and Swasth Yuva Pilot Project.

My Government has taken the initiative of introducing three vaccines-Hepatitis B, Typhoid & MMR, in the routine immunization program of Delhi for arresting mortality and morbidity among children. Immunization coverage has improved appreciably, from 68% in 1998 to 81.9% in 2006. Every year nine rounds of immunization are conducted under the Pulse Polio Programme, & resultantly incidence of Polio cases has come down from an annual average of 500 cases a few years ago, to just three cases in 2008.

In order to protect the citizens from the ill effect of passive smoking and to reduce tobacco consumption, my Government has proposed a two-year project called " Smoke Free Delhi".

POWER SECTOR

To meet the growing demand of power in the capital city, Government of NCT of Delhi has taken up a major power project on sharing basis with the Government of Haryana, namely the Indira Gandhi Super Thermal Power Project in Jhajjar which is a 1500MW coal based power plant taken up by a Joint Venture Company. Pragati-II Power Project at Bamnauli & Pragati-III Power Project at Bawana, Delhi which are gas based power projects are at different stages of construction & will add 2250 MW of power to our availability.

On the distribution front, the power reforms are yielding rich rewards. The AT&C loss level, at the time of privatization of Distribution was more than 50% and the same has dropped to 20% by 2008-09. The reduction of losses in case of BSES Rajdhani has been from 48% to 21%, in case of BSES Yamuna from 57% to 24% and in case of NDPL from 48% to 15%. It is also heartening that nearly 90-95% of consumers have been metered and in past two years six and a half lakhs new connections have been given.

Use of Compact Fluorescent Lamps is being encouraged by the distribution companies in order to reduce energy consumption. Manufacturers of CFLs are giving attractive discounts on such products.

INDUSTRIES SECTOR

My Government has emphasized the promotion of high-tech, low energy intensive and non-polluting industries in Delhi. Apart from this, traditional industries like Handicrafts, Handlooms, Khadi & Village Industries, Leather Goods and Household items are also being promoted. My government is evolving a new industrial policy which takes account of the present challenges.

Under the scheme of relocation of industries & industrial plots/flats, 22749 eligible applicants have been benefited. My Government has formulated SEZ Policy to facilitate setting up of SEZ in Hi-tech areas, such as IT and ITES industries in Delhi.

EDUCATION SECTOR

Education holds the key to Economic and Social growth; hence this sector has been given the pride of place in the agenda of my government.

To enhance Access to Quality Education my Government is running 925 schools, out of which 373 are Sarvodaya Vidyalayas. Assistance is also being provided to 221 aided schools where about 12 lacs students are enrolled.

It is matter of pride for all of us that the huge improvement in Quality of Education of government schools is reflected in the class X and class XII board results this years. In case of class X, the results have improved from 48% in 2005 to 84% in 2008 and to 89.44% in 2009. The result of Senior Secondary Examination in respect of Delhi Government Schools has also improved significantly to 87.14% in 2009. It is a landmark achievement for government schools and speaks volumes for the dedication and performance of teachers and students alike.

Apart from this, "PAHAL" a programme for coaching students has been introduced. For slum children in the neighborhood of our schools, a computer introductory program 'Khul Ja Sim Sim' has started.

WATER SECTOR

There has been tremendous improvement in the availability of water for the citizens of Delhi. The present installed capacity for treatment of surface water is 710 MGD & the production of treated water, after optimization, is about 725 MGD. With the addition of 100 MGD of sub-surface water, the present availability of treated water is 825 MGD. The summer months of this year and the last year have been comfortable in terms of availability of water. Even so, we stand committed to further augment the supply of drinking water.

With the release of 40 MGD by the Govt. of Haryana the full requirements of raw water for Nangloi WTP was met. The matter of Bawana Water treatment Plant of 20 MGD is also being taken up with the Govt. of Haryana & it is expected that additional water would become available to us in the near future.

We have planned to recover and treat waste water, which is about 8% of the water production at the existing WTPs. Work has started at all the four Major WTPs Haiderpur, Bhagirathi, Wazirabad and Chandrawal. The Recycling plant at Haiderpur is already commissioned. The Recycling plant at Bhagirathi is expected to be completed by the end of this month and at Wazirabad by next month. The Chandrawal plant is also expected to be commissioned during the current financial year. Additional 30 MGD would then become available, from these plants for drinking purposes.

ENVIRONMENT SECTOR

Delhi has taken the lead in Greening the city, with the effective green cover increasing from 26 sq kms to 300 sq kms in ten years, which is 20% of the area of Delhi. This is proposed to be increased to 33% over time, as set out in the National Green Mission. A series of measures proposed include more effective greening of existing greens, opening of new city forests and intensifying the green cover over the entire ridge area of Delhi, which covers nearly 6000 hectares.

In this direction, a Delhi Parks and Garden Society has been established, which aims at development of about 100 Parks and Gardens by next year. A target of five million potted plants has been fixed for Commonwealth Games. We are proud that Delhi has earned the title of one of the greenest cities of the world.

To reduce pollution, and Air Ambience Fund has been set up under the Air Act, to provide support for battery operated vehicles. Battery operated vehicles like cars, scooters, and tempos can now get VAT and registration charge refund in full, from the fund.

To make the environment of Delhi more Eco friendly & healthy, ban has been imposed on the use of plastic bags in hotels, hospitals, malls, main markets, local shopping centres & by small shopkeepers and street vendors. The Government has been conducting campaigns to enforce the ban on use of plastic bags and incentivise the use of alternative bags.

The Government is committed to setting up Rain Water Harvesting Structures in all educational institutions and Rs.35 crores has been earmarked in the plan budget. Big hospitals, malls, hotels, construction projects etc have also been directed to set up Rainwater harvesting structures in their premises.

Government of Delhi has prepared a climate change Agenda for Delhi 2009-12, to ensure that the adverse impacts of global warming are contained & reversed by taking measures which help reduce green house gases. Government is committed to incorporate the concerns of climate change in its development agenda.

TOURISM SECTOR

Recognizing the potential of Tourism industry, my Government intends to promote sustainable tourism, with measures to protect the fragile ecology of the state. Delhi enjoys the status of a major tourism destination in India, with about 40% of international tourists coming to India, visiting this city.

The Government has also launched Bed & Breakfast Scheme to increase the medium value accommodation for the visitors to this city. The scheme will also help the residents of the City, who would be able to earn on one side and offer excellent hospitality to the visitors, by extending home stay experience on the other.

INFRASTRUCTURE FOR COMMONWEALTH GAMES 2010

To provide better intra city connectivity during the Games period and to ensure rapid flow of vehicular traffic between the competition venues, my Government is constructing 24 new flyovers/bridges and 6 Road Over Bridges/Road Under Bridges (ROBs/RUBs). MCD is also constructing 18 Nos. of ROBs and RUBs for maintaining smooth traffic flow. These will contribute significantly to reduction in signaled lines and stoppage times.

PWD, MCD & NDMC have also taken up a drive for beautification of Roads, by way of widening, Strengthening & Resurfacing the roads, street Lighting & Street Scaping. 150 lane Kms of roads will be taken up for widening, 1400 lane Kms. for Strengthening & Resurfacing, 1600 lane Kms. for Street Lighting and 175 lane Kms. for Street Scaping. To improve aesthetics, and street scaping alongside roads & in vacant areas around the flyovers will include greenery, tree plantation, street furniture and modern signages. All these projects are at different stages of progress and will be completed in time for the Commonwealth Games.

REHABILITATION WORKS

Delhi Prisons are considered to be amongst one of best-managed prisons in the country, particularly in the field of correctional activities that are being carried out in association with NGOs. We have initiated Oral Substitution Therapy (OST) in Tihar in Collaboration with UNODC and AIIMS, to effectively treat drug users. A 120 bedded De-addiction Centre (DAC) has also been setup for treatment, counselling and rehabilitation of drug addicts.

IMPROVEMENT OF LIVING CONDITIONS

To focus on improving the living conditions of people living in unauthorized colonies, a board for Development of Unauthorized Colonies has been constituted. The Government of Delhi has issued provisional regularization certificates to1223 unauthorised colonies after the notification of the Ministry of Urban Development, GOI. Government has also established a special fund, with an outlay of 2800 crores, in the 11th five year plan. During the year 2008-09 an amount of Rs.743 crores was released for these facilities. Development of low cost housing for the under privileged sections of the society& in situ development of these areas will receive focused attention from my Government.

SOCIAL SECURITY

My Government has accelerated the pace of educational, social & economic development of SC/ST/OBC & Minority communities by way of providing monetary support in the form of grant and loan and reimbursement of tuition fee of students with family income limit of Rs.1.00 lakh per annum. We are also implementing a scheme of "Improvement of SC/ST basties" undertaking works like kharanjas, road & side drains and construction/repair of chaupals/ barat ghars. A number of programs for welfare of minorities have been taken up including appointment of 69 Urdu teachers in schools on contractual basis, vocational training and ICDS services in area inhabited by minorities. Delhi has been awarded third prize amongst all states/UTs for implementing schemes for welfare of SC/ST.

For the well-being of the labourers, the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana, a Centrally Sponsored Scheme has been launched in NCT of Delhi, to provide health insurance facilities to the families living Below Poverty Line. To facilitate implementation of the scheme the "Delhi Swastha Kutumb Society" has been formed over 23000 BPL families have been registered as member beneficiaries, under the scheme.

Facilities like life insurance, scholarship for children, pension, medical treatment, maternity benefit, loan for purchase of tools, advance for purchase of house etc. are also being provided to construction workers. An amount of Rs.7.50 crores for mobile schools, Rs.13 crores for educational assistance, Rs.4 crores for mobile Dispensaries and Rs 1.10 crores for 'Arogya Nidhi' for health facilities for construction labours has been provided by the Unorganized Construction Worker's Board.

The efforts of my government have been to streamline and augment the social security network through programmes of financial assistance, vocational training and soft loans for specific entrepreneurial activities. To provide a robust cover to the most vulnerable & vulnerable people, we have introduced the Samajik Suvidha Sangam initiative. This involves extensive survey & mapping of the vulnerable sector of society in order to reach to them their entitlements in the most efficient manner. In this directions, 78 Samajik Suvidah Kendras are functional in different parts of Delhi with focus on vocational training and skill development & in Helping women become self sufficient and self reliant.

Protection of Women is one of the major concerns of my Government. In this direction, 17 protection officers have been appointed in all the districts of Delhi, Under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act.

The quantum of financial assistance to senior citizens and unemployment allowance to disabled persons has been enhanced from Rs.400/- to Rs.1000/- pm. The Scheme of One -time financial assistance to widows has been replaced by a new scheme of pension for widows, with the recurring financial assistance of Rs.1000/-pm. The Deputy Commissioners of Districts have been made responsible for overseeing the CDMOs under PNDT Act for more effective implementation.

GOOD GOVERNANCE

My government has undertaken projects for information Dissemination & Capacity Building as well as e-Governance Initiatives. Connectivity between the Secretariat and various Departments has been provided through leased line/Broadband connection. My Government has implemented the e-procurement system. This will bring greater transparency and efficiency in the procurement process. in order to give focused attention to the grievances of the citizens, the Grievance Management System "Aap Ki Sunwai", has been set up.

My government has started the Delhi Online (Jeevan) project, under which 520 kiosks will be set up across Delhi to provide all government services under one roof. More than 75 centers have become operational with billing services of MTNL, BSES, NDPL and DJB and others.

CONCLUSION

The development process in Delhi is proceeding in the right direction & at the right pace, People's participation through Bhagidari has added a powerful dimension to this. Delhi being , a city-state and the National Capital, attracts people from all parts of the country and form all walks of life. My Government seeks to fulfill the aspirations of this multicultural milieu through sincere responsiveness & commitment.

Hon'ble Speaker and Members of the august house, I have presented before you, in brief, the highlights of some of the activities undertaken by my Government during the last one year. The Finance Minister will spell out further details, in his Budget speech.

I would however like to reiterate that my Government is committed not only to the maintenance of peace & social harmony, but to provide better fiscal discipline and give a citizen centric governance. I am confident that you will all provide your full cooperation & support to the endeavour & to the cause of prosperity and all round development of the state.

I extend my greetings and good wishes to all of you and wish you all success in your deliberations.