Parliament's Budget Session to start from Jan 31

NEW DELHI: 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.

During the second part of the Budget Session, the major focus is on the discussion on the demands for grants for various ministries apart from the government's legislative agenda.

The Union Budget, a money bill, is passed during this part of the session. The work on the new Parliament building is being carried out as part of the Central Vista development.

Those involved in the construction of the Parliament are confident that the second part of the Budget Session can be conducted in the new Parliament building During the last session, nine bills were introduced in Lok Sabha and seven bills were passed by the lower House of Parliament.

The Rajya Sabha passed nine bills and the total number of bills passed by both Houses of Parliament during the session was nine.