
NEW DELHI: Former MP and Congress candidate from the New Delhi constituency Sandeep Dikshit has sounded an alarm over the growing culture of freebies terming it “unsustainable”. The son of former CM Sheila Dikshit accused the AAP of pushing Delhi into a budgetary crisis through its populism schemes.
Dikshit highlighted how freebies have led to Delhi’s first revenue deficit in years, forcing the government to seek a Rs 10,000 crore loan from the Centre.
“Once Arvind Kejriwal started the trend in 2013, every political party jumped onto the bandwagon of comparative populism. However, these practices are unsustainable in the long run and will eventually lead to financial ruin,” he said.
The Congress candidate delved into the numbers, emphasising the strain on the capital’s finances. “This year, Delhi had a budget of Rs 76,000 crore.
Of this, Rs 39,000 crore is fixed for salaries and establishments, leaving Rs 37,000 crore for development. AAP’s flagship schemes, like the Mahila Samman Yojana, will cost Rs 12,000 crore.
Then its health scheme will likely add another Rs 16,000 crore. Together, they consume over two-thirds of the development budget. When you add other freebies, such as free bus rides for women, the numbers don’t add up.”