Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal claimed on Wednesday that the figures are the “greatest proof” of the Aam Aadmi Party’s “honesty” a day after the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India revealed an audit report that revealed Delhi has been generating a revenue surplus since 2015.
Manish Sisodia, the deputy chief minister, claimed that “honest politics” had allowed the Kejriwal administration to maintain a state of revenue surplus in the nation’s capital.
According to the study, Delhi’s revenue surplus for 2019–20 was $7,499 crore, meaning that the government’s tax receipts were enough to cover its revenue expenditure. In 2019–20, the revenue surplus increased from 0.81 percent in 2018–19 to 0.88 percent of GSDP (gross state domestic product).
The CAG noted that Delhi has been able to keep a revenue surplus, nevertheless, since some expenses are paid for by the Centre. Because the government of India is covering the GNCTD employees’ pension obligations, the NCT of Delhi has been able to maintain a revenue surplus. The CAG audit added that the ministry of home affairs also pays for Delhi Police expenses.
According to the data, Delhi’s revenue spending climbed by 50.47 percent between 2015–16 and 2019–20, from 26,343 crore to 39,637 crore. The same amount climbed from 36,852 crore in 2018–19 to 39,637 crore in 2019–20, a 7.56 percent rise. Over the past five years, the committed expenditure portion of total revenue expenditure has fluctuated from 34.41 to 35.81 percent.
When the Delhi government’s subsidies for water, electricity, and bus fares were taken into account, the CAG reported that “Expenditure on subsidies jumped from 1,867.61 crore in 2015-16 to 3,592.94 crore in 2019-20. (92.38 percent ). The amount spent on subsidies rose over the previous year by 41.85% in 2019–20. Financial support for local organisations and others increased from 15,087.22 crore in 2018–19 to 16,232.97 crore in 2019–20, or 7.59 percent.
