The Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs has agreed to propose January 28 as the tentative start date for the budget session of Parliament and February 1 for the presentation of the Union Budget, reports said on Wednesday, adding that the dates are yet to receive final approval.
The budget session is the first parliamentary session of the calendar year and traditionally begins with the President’s address to a joint sitting of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, ANI reported.
The Union Budget has been presented on February 1 for several years. This year, February 1 falls on a Sunday, and sources indicated there is a strong likelihood that the government will retain the date to maintain predictability in financial processes.
The budget session is usually held in two phases, with a break in between to allow parliamentary standing committees to examine the demands for grants of various ministries.
Sources said the CCPA deliberated on two possible dates for the start of the budget session, January 28 and January 31, and a final decision is expected shortly. The budget session typically begins in the last week of January.
In 2017, the Union Budget was advanced by a month to February 1, bringing the expenditure cycle forward by two months as part of a broader effort to reform fiscal governance.
Like the winter session, the budget session is expected to see the introduction of several bills and extensive legislative business.
Packed Parliamentary calendar
The parliamentary schedule is expected to remain packed in the coming weeks, with India set to host the AI Impact Summit next month, adding to the government’s commitments during the same period.
The current budget timetable dates back to February 1, 2017, when the presentation of the Union Budget was advanced by a month and the expenditure cycle by two months. The change was aimed at reforming fiscal governance and ensuring the timely rollout of government spending.
As with the recently concluded winter session, the budget session is likely to witness the introduction of several bills and detailed legislative discussions alongside the Budget. A weekend Budget presentation would not be unprecedented under the Modi government. Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Budget on a Saturday last year.
Earlier, Arun Jaitley presented the Union Budgets for 2015 and 2016 on February 28, both of which also fell on a Saturday.
