The Budget session of Parliament will begin on February 23 and the Budget will be presented on February 29.
The government announced that the session will continue till May 13 with recess from March 17 to April 24. This puts an end to speculation that the session could be curtailed due to Assembly elections in Assam, West Bengal, Puducherry, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
A meeting of all parties earlier asked the government to take a decision on the dates. The Opposition did not favour curtailing of the sittings. During the recess, department-related Standing Committees will examine the Budget proposals of different ministries and departments.
Minister of Parliamentary Affairs M Venkaiah Naidu said after a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs and the all-party meeting that the session will begin with an address by President Pranab Mukherjee. “Presentation of Railway Budget will be on February 25, Economic Survey the next day and General Budget on February 29,” he said.
Naidu added that the session will have a total of 31 sittings spread over a total duration of 81 days.
“Budget session of Parliament this year will run full course with recess in between unlike in 2011 when the recess was done away with on account of Assembly elections in five States that are going to polls this year also,” he said.