The Budget Session of Parliament is likely to begin from January 31. The Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs is believed to have decided the dates at a meeting on Tuesday, PTI reported.
Officials told ANI that the first half of the Budget Session will be held from January 31 to February 9. The president is slated to address both Houses on the first day, they added. There is no word yet on when the second half of the Budget Session will be held.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh chaired the committee meeting. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj also attended it, ANI reported. Jaitley is expected to present the budget on February 1.
While the Budget Session usually begins on February 28, the Union Cabinet on September 21 approved advancing it by a month, in addition to merging the rail and annual Budgets. The decision to move up the Budget was made as central government departments are allotted money before the beginning of a new financial year, which begins on April 1.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had said that the date of presenting the Budget will be decided after taking into consideration Assembly election dates in five poll-bound states. On December 27, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said during a Niti Aayog meeting with economists that various sectors will get their funds at the beginning of the next financial year if the Parliament’s Budget Session was advanced to February 1.
The railway and annual budgets were merged after 92 years of remaining separate. However, the Rail Ministry will continue to have full financial autonomy on matters such as fare, tariff revisions and market borrowings.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!