Parliament’s Budget Session to start from Jan 31

The Budget Session of Parliament is likely to begin on January 31 and is expected to conclude on April 6 with a recess in between, government sources said on Monday. The session will start with an address by President Droupadi Murmu to the joint sitting of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha in the Central Hall of Parliament. This will be the first address to the two Houses of Parliament by President Murmu since her elevation to the top post in August last year. The Economic Survey will also be tabled in both Houses on the first day of the budget session, the sources said. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is likely to present the Union Budget in Parliament on February 1 and the first part of the session is expected to continue till February 10, the sources said. They said that after a recess during which the standing committees examine the demands of grants of various ministries, the second part of the Budget Session is likely to start on March 6 and conclude on April 6. During the first part of the Budget Session, the two Houses have a detailed discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address followed by a discussion on the Union Budget. While Prime Minister Narendra Modi will reply to the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address, the Finance Minister will reply to the debate on the union budget.