NEW DELHI: The Budget 2024-25 presented by Finance Minister Atishi in Assembly on Monday evoked mixed reactions from the residents, with some praising it and a few claiming it to be nothing different from the last year’s budget.
Dr Vijay Jindal, Society for Securing Justice’s president and Member, Advisory Committee, Delhi Police Senior Citizen Cell was not much happy with the Budget, saying the government did not gave anything for the welfare of senior citizens except “Mukhya Mantri Teerthyatra Yojna”, a pilgrimage.
“Senior citizens are prone to multiple problems and the government should have addressed them,” Jindal told this newspaper.
Presenting a few suggestions, 67-year-old Jindal said there should be a team of at least two members in each ward to support senior citizens. “There shall be exclusive senior citizen recreational and counselling centres in each ward. There should also be provision of Senior citizen social security card facilitating easy access to services, facilities and support on priority basis,” he said.
Apart from that, Jindal said that he expected the government to launch a senior citizen helpline number to support them in case of physical and emotional emergency
“There shall be free medical facilities upto Rs. 5 Lac for every senior citizen of Delhi,” he said.
As the city continues to grapple with soaring levels of air pollution during the winter months when thick blanket of smoke envelops the sky, one of the residents expressed happiness saying Government’s commitment to ramp up rooftop solar electricity generation capacity from the current 255 MW to 4500 MW by 2027 represents significant strides in combating local air pollution.
“Enhancing the metro network and expanding the electric bus fleet to encompass 80% of the total 10,000 buses by 2025 will also prove beneficial in longer terms,” Sunil Dahiya, South Asia Analyst, Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) said.
However, he said that addressing the transportation needs of Delhi’s vast population necessitates a more substantial increase in bus numbers and a comprehensive integration of bus, metro, and feeder services, along with the development of safe walking and cycling paths.