Gujarat assembly session: Budget to be presented on Feb 2

AHMEDABAD: The budget session of the Gujarat assembly will begin on Thursday and the state budget for FY 2024-25 will be presented on Friday, a state minister said.

The budget will reflect the vision of the state government for the next year and a road map for the next 25 years, he said.

The opposition Congress has said it will corner the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government on a range of issues including inflation, unemployment, and the recent boat capsize tragedy in a lake in Vadodara, resulting in the death of 12 students and two teachers.

The budget session will start with the customary address of Governor Acharya Devvrat.

''On the first day, the governor will present the previous year's achievements of the state government in his address to the House,'' Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Rushikesh Patel told reporters in Gandhinagar on Wednesday.

Finance Minister Kanubhai Desai will present the budget on the next day (February 2). The budget will reflect the vision of the state government for the next year and a road map for the next 25 years, he said.

''In view of the consecration ceremony of Lord Ram temple in Ayodhya, a resolution praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be brought on February 5,'' said Patel, who is also the government spokesperson.

Considering a representation by MLAs, no sitting of the assembly will be held on Saturdays as announced earlier, he added.

The budget session will conclude on February 29.

According to officials, a bill proposing amendments to the 'Gujarat Tenancy and Agricultural Lands Laws' has been cleared by the assembly secretariat for discussion so far. Some more bills will be cleared later, they added.

The opposition Congress has decided to corner the government on various issues.

''Despite tall claims by the BJP government, unemployment is still rampant in the state and events like the Vibrant Gujarat Summit, held in January, only benefited businessmen, not our youth,'' Gujarat Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi claimed. ''Congress MLAs will also raise the issue of death of 12 students and two teachers in the Vadodara boat capsize incident,'' he said.