Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and finance minister for Delhi, Atishi, has urged the central government to set aside Rs 10,000 crore for the improvement of the capital’s infrastructure.
She emphasized that during the previous year, the government of Delhi collected Rs 2 trillion in income taxes.
She stated that the city has donated Rs 25,000 crore to the central GST during a news conference in Delhi. She recommended that more monies be released for Delhi in order to improve the city’s power, transportation, and road infrastructure as well as to support urban beautification initiatives.
The AAP leader further said that the residents of Delhi are the highest income taxpayers. “Delhi should get Rs 10,000 crore from the Rs 2.07 trillion that people of the city pay as income tax. This amount of Rs 10,000 crore is just 0.25 per cent of the Central government’s budget and only 5 per cent of the income tax of Delhiites,” she said.
On July 22, the Parliament will convene in the Monsoon Session. On July 23, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is scheduled to deliver the 2024 Budget.
Atishi criticized Delhi’s unfair financial treatment in comparison to other large cities, pointing out that Mumbai collects Rs 5 trillion in taxes yet Maharashtra only gets Rs 54,000 crore in return. Similarly, Bengaluru contributes Rs 2 trillion while receiving Rs 33,000 crore from the central pool.
However, Delhi has been allocated just Rs 325 crore annually since 2001, with this funding being discontinued last year, leaving the city without central support. Despite Delhi residents contributing Rs 35,000 crore in taxes last year, the central government did not allocate any funds for crucial services such as free electricity, healthcare, or infrastructure, the AAP leader said.
Atishi labelled this situation as unjust, arguing that major global cities such as New York, Tokyo, and London do not experience such disregard from their central governments.
Responding to her statements, Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secretary Harish Khurana said that the central government had progressively increased its financial support to Delhi, from Rs 4,258 crore in 2015 to Rs 11,945 crore in 2022.
Get the latest news updates and stay informed with FELA NEWS!
