Budget session of Maharashtra and Gujarat Assemblies begins today

Budget session of Maharashtra Legislature will begin today. The session will start with the address of Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari to the joint sitting of the state Legislative Assembly and Council. The session is likely to be a stormy one with the opposition BJP expected to corner the state government over various issues. 

The 10-day-long budget session will have eight working days and the budget will be tabled on March 8. Bills pertaining to departments such as revenue, higher education and home are likely to be taken up. A draft of the Shakti Act, which provides for strict punishment for crime against women and children, is under consideration of a joint select committee of both Houses. The budget session is normally held for six weeks, but in view of the current pandemic situation, it has been curtailed.

The state government will also table supplementary demands on the first day. The House will hold discussion on the governor's speech tomorrow, while next two days are reserved for discussion on supplementary demands.

 

The Budget session of Maharashtra Legislature will begin with the address of Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari to the joint sitting of the state Legislative Assembly and Council. The state budget session is normally held for six weeks, but in view of the current pandemic situation, it has been curtailed.

 

The state Legislature's



budget session was curtailed last year also in the wake of the outbreak of COVID-19. The state government will table supplementary demands on the first day and the House will hold discussion on the governor's speech tomorrow. The next two days are reserved for discussion on supplementary demands.

 

 But on the other hand the opposition BJP has made its intention clear to corner the state government on various issues like death of Puja Chavan, handling of Covid-19 crisis, fire in Bhandara hospital, appointment of the speaker in the legislative assembly and alleged corruption in various government departments.

 

The government is also likely to face questions from the opposition over the incidents of atrocities against women in COVID care centres and delay in help to farmers affected by floods and cyclone in parts of the state.

 

The month-long budget session of Gujarat Assembly will also begin today. The session will begin with the address of Governor Acharya Devvrat. Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel, who also holds finance portfolio, will present the budget on Wednesday.

The budget session will continue till 1st April. Mr Patel has launched the "Gujarat Budget" mobile application recently to enable government officials, legislators and other citizens to access budgetary provisions on their mobile phones.