Inflation lowest in Delhi due to CM Arvind Kejriwal's welfare model, says Raghav Chadha

Raghav Chadha. File Pic

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Raghav Chadha on Wednesday said among the states, inflation rate is lowest in Delhi due to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's welfare schemes for the people, reported news agency PTI.

Retail inflation in India declined to 6.83 per cent in August after touching a 15-month high of 7.44 per cent in July, mainly due to softening prices of vegetables, but remains above the RBI's comfort zone, according to official data released on Tuesday.

Addressing a press conference, Raghav Chadha cited the figures of other states and said that the inflation in the national capital was almost half of the national figure.

"This is because Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has given a welfare model. I would call it the Arvind Kejriwal Mehengai Rahat Model under which people have access to free education, health, and water," he said.

Raghav Chadha said that BJP calls the welfare schemes 'revdi'.

"These are not revdi but prepaid services. People pay taxes for these services. Arvind Kejriwal gives your money back through these schemes," he added.

Earlier, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday claimed inflation is the lowest in Delhi and the city government's schemes for free education, health care, electricity and water have provided "tremendous" relief to people of the national capital.

Retail inflation in India declined to 6.83 per cent in August after touching a 15-month high of 7.44 per cent in July, mainly due to softening prices of vegetables, but remains above the RBI's comfort zone, according to official data released on Tuesday.

Sharing a news report that compared the inflation figures of some states with the national average, Kejriwal said in a post on X that his government's free services schemes and its honesty provided relief from inflation to the people of Delhi.

"According to the data, inflation is again the lowest in Delhi, as always. The Delhi government's free education, free treatment, free travel for women, free water, free electricity, free pilgrimage as well as honest government have provided tremendous relief to the people," the AAP chief said in Hindi.

According to Tuesday's data released by the National Statistical Office, retail inflation based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) was at 7 per cent in August 2022. Food inflation also eased in August to 9.94 per cent from 11.51 per cent in July.

The RBI has projected the CPI inflation at 5.4 per cent for 2023-24.

(With inputs from PTI)