Budget session starts today, likely to be stormy

Sushil Manav
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, February 19

The Budget session of the Haryana Assembly beginning tomorrow is expected to be a stormy affair, as the Opposition is likely to corner the BJP government led by Manohar Lal Khattar on issues of farmers and employees’ unrest among others.

On the other hand, fresh from its victory in Jind bypoll, the BJP, too, seems to be in a belligerent mood and will try to silence the Opposition, which is already a divided lot.

Notably, while the Congress was already hit by factionalism, now four out of 17 MLAs (Naina Chautala, Rajdeep Phogat, Prithvi Singh and Anoop Dhanak) of the INLD have their allegiance to the JJP’s Dushyant Chautala, though they will share seats with his uncle and Leader of Opposition Abhay Chautala.

Besides the annual budget, the session will see the passage of some bills, including the controversial amendment to the Punjab Land Preservation Act, 1900, which will render this Act inapplicable to certain areas of Aravallis falling in Gurugram and Faridabad.

Besides, the CAG will table its report on the floor of the House during this session.

As per a tentative programme, the budget session is likely to last till March 5.

It will begin with the Governor’s Address on Wednesday followed by obituary references and papers to be laid on the table of the House.

The House will have non-official business on February 21 and discussion on the Governor’s address on February 22.

Supplementary estimates for 2018-19 (third instalment) will be presented before the Assembly on February 25 and the discussion as well as voting on it will also be held the same day.

The tentative schedule for the presentation of the budget estimates is for February 26; discussion on it on February 27 and Finance Minister Captain Abhimanyu’s reply on March 1.

To last till March 5 

The tentative schedule for the presentation of the Budget for 2019-10 is for Feb 26, the discussion will be on Feb 27 and Finance Minister Capt Abhimanyu’s reply on March 1.