The Budget session of Parliament will commence from February 23 and the government will present the General Budget on February 29. The dates were decided at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs, chaired by Home Minister Rajnath Singh.
“The Budget session of Parliament will commence on February 23. The Rail Budget will be presented on February 25, the pre-Budget economic survey on February 26 and the General Budget on February 29,” Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu told reporters.
“The first part of Budget session will end on March 16 and the second part will be convened from April 25 to May 13.”
He said there were suggestions for curtailing the recess period due to Assembly elections in five States but the government as well as political parties wanted a full session of Parliament.
“In 2011, the then Government had decided not to refer Bills to Standing Committees in the Budget session when States were going to polls and there were demands to curtail the session. But the government today decided that Bills will be referred to standing committees for examination during recess period,” Mr. Naidu said.
Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said the government is hopeful that the session will be "constructive and positive."
“We are making attempts to talk to all so that this session functions in a proper manner. We are talking to all parties, formally and informally and our attempt is that the budget session is positive and constructive,” Mr. Naqvi said.
