Delhi deputy chief minister and education minister Manish Sisodia on Saturday presented his eighth consecutive budget, a record of sorts, with focus on employment.
The minister said the Rs 75,800-crore budget is aimed at helping with Delhi’s economic recovery post Covid-19. “Delhi’s economy is recovering gradually from the impact of Covid-19. The budget allocation for 2022-23 is Rs 75,800 crore,” Sisodia said in his budget speech.
The size of the budget for 2021-22 was Rs 69,000 crore.
News18 spoke to Sisodia on how the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government plans to fulfil the targets.
Edited excerpts:
It is your eighth consecutive budget, which is in a way a record of sorts. The focus is completely on generation of employment. You have promised 20 lakh jobs. Is that target not very ambitious?
It is ambitious, but necessary. Today, the people of Delhi are in need of employment. Lakhs of youth in Delhi hope that the government takes steps in that direction – whether it is ambitious, impossible or difficult. If everything was easy, why would people need a government? The role of the government comes in when things perceived to be ambitious are actually achieved. That is what Arvind Kejriwal’s role is, that is the aim of the AAP’s honest government.
When we started working on schools, hospitals and electricity, people termed it ambitious. Can electricity be given for free? Can women get free bus rides? Today, all these things have been achieved. You will see that in five years, 20 lakh jobs will be created. People will then say that it was ambitious, but they have achieved it.
You have identified eight sectors. But these sectors would generate employment on a second-hand basis. If the markets grow, there will be employment. Employment is also not of a firm nature. What do you have to say about that?
Not at all. Please visit the markets of Delhi. People have been working in these markets for 20-25 years and they are growing. Covid, goods and services tax, notebandi and the pandemic dealt a body blow to traders. Where three people were being employed earlier, now they need just two. The trader had to let go of people, who had worked for them for 20-25 years, as there was no work for them.
Today, the AAP government is standing with the market. It wants to facilitate growth. These markets had earned the confidence of the people. As I said in my budget speech today that in the entire country, even though people go to malls for shopping, Dilli ka maal is dilli ka maal. There is confidence in the goods bought from Delhi’s famous market. I have to again get customers back to that trader. And for that, we will do whatever we can. It will help in branding, facilities and improve the look of the market. We will develop these spaces like tourist spots. People will visit these places with their families. The government will organise festivals. The work in the markets will grow and consequently jobs will multiply two-three fold.
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When can we start witnessing these changes?
We have already started work. This budget will go to our departments, which will then get the money and the work will begin. You will start noticing changes from the first year itself. For the first year, we have identified five markets of Delhi. Similarly, work will begin on food trucks and food hubs. However, it will take time to build an electronic city and A grade shopping centers. However, spurring the growth in retail will take time in some cases and will be quick in some others.
Within five years, we will achieve the target. We have done a lot of research with markets, associations within and outside the country. We have studied various models, especially those within the country. We have come up with this plan after hours and days of work with them.
You have set a target of five years. However, your government’s tenure ends in three years?
In three years, when things are on track, people will vote for us again for the next five years. We are not nervous about that at all. People see everything and we know that the people of Delhi vote on the work that is being done here.
There is also a perception that you are trying to attract the first-time voter, who is perceived to be attracted to the Bharatiya Janata Party. And employment is a big issue.
Kisi ka bhi voter ho, dilli mein toh sab Arvind Kejriwal ke voter hai. It is our effort that this government should talk of jobs, that the government should give jobs. The youth demands jobs, but is being distracted by other issues. That is happening in other states. Our government is saying, “Don’t worry, we will start working on these policies.” We have provided 12 lakh jobs in the past and in the coming five years, we will provide at least 20 lakh jobs.
Apart from this, what is the highlight of your budget? For instance in earlier years, we always used to talk about health and education, which was your identity. It stood at the core of the politics of AAP.
Health and education still remain our top priorities. Even today, education has got the highest allocation. The sectors of water and health have also got appropriate allocation, so has pollution. But even here, our focus is on generating employment. The government is focusing on all areas from where employment can be generated.
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Members from the Punjab Vidhan Sabha visited Delhi. Punjab finance minister Harpal Cheema was here. What did you discuss with him and what are the learnings that Punjab will have from Delhi?
Punjab has a new AAP government. They, too, have to perform. These two governments will learn from each other. Punjab will definitely gain from whatever has already been achieved in Delhi and Punjab government will come up with fresh ideas, do things in a different manner. We, too, will learn from Punjab.
One heartening feature that the chief minister mentioned was the residential school for street urchins. You have worked in the NGO sector for very long, the chief minister has also been an activist. Do you think it will work?
It will work. Actually, the models that we have until now treat kids like prisoners, compromising their dignity and did not work on their psychological issues. As of now, kids found to be defying the law are taken to children’s home …that may be just okay. But if you look at it from the point of view of kids, they feel that they have been trapped. We will not take these kids to ‘reform centres’. We will take these kids to school and give them education.
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