Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 11: There will be 32 sittings in 37 days long budget session of the Legislative Assembly, starting from May 25 while Finance Minister Dr Haseeb Drabu will present his second budget on May 30.
Legislative Assembly Speaker Kavinder Gupta told the Excelsior that the option of only single sitting for all 32 working days of the Assembly, was approved today after which the Assembly Secretariat issued calendar for the budget session, which will be held in Srinagar, the summer capital of the State.
The single sitting option was approved in view of holy month of Ramazan starting in the first week of June. The calendar was finalized in a meeting between Speaker Kavinder Gupta, Legislative Council Deputy Chairman Jehangir Mir and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Abdul Rehman Veeri in consultations with Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti.
Excelsior had in its yesterday’s edition exclusively reported that general budget of Jammu and Kashmir for financial year 2016-17 will be presented by the Finance Minister on May 30.
The budget session will start on May 25 and conclude on June 30 lasting 37 days with 32 sittings.
Governor N N Vohra will address joint session of the Legislature on May 25 after which both the Houses-the Assembly and the Council-will meet separately for obituary reference.
This will be maiden Legislature session of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, who had taken oath on April 4. The budget session of the Legislature was scheduled to start on January 18 this year but due to death of then Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed on January 7 followed by imposition of Governor’s Rule in the State next day, the session was cancelled.
The Assembly will hold discussion on Motion of Thanks to Governor’s Address for three days. Mehbooba will reply to the debate on the third day, which would be her first major address to the Legislature as the Chief Minister.
Drabu will present his second straight budget in the Assembly on May 30, which will also be debated for three days i.e. May 31, June 1 and 2. He would reply to the budget on June 2.
Demand for Grants for debate and passing the budget of Departments will start on June 3 and last 17 working days till June 22.
The Appropriation Bill i.e. the budget will be passed on June 23.
The Assembly will take up Private Member’ Resolutions on June 24 and 27 while Private Members’ Bills will be taken up on June 27 and 29. The Government business has been listed on June 25 and 30.
The session will adjourn on June 30, unless extended.
As Assembly had to meet within six months, the Government will have to hold another session of the Legislature before December 30 to meet the Constitutional requirement.
Sources said either a short Legislature session can be held in Srinagar in October or in Jammu in November before next year’s budget session in January.
Follow our WhatsApp channel