Budget session of Bihar legislature to begin from February 12

The first of the budget session will commence with the joint address to the two Houses by Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar at the Central Hall, followed by the move to seek a trust vote by the Kumar-led government

The budget session of the Bihar legislature will begin on February 12, according to the revised schedule issued by the Raj Bhavan on Thursday after it was rescheduled for the third time.

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar (HT Photo)

The session has been reduced to 10 sittings and will end on February 29. Previously, the session was scheduled from February 5 to February 29, with 17 sittings.

It was then rescheduled to February 10 after the change of government on January 28 following Nitish Kumar’s exit from the grand alliance.

The Janata Dal (United) leader recently served his ties with Lalu Prasad-led Rashtriya Janata Dal and once again joined hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance and took oath as the chief minister of Bihar for the ninth time.

The first of the budget session will commence with the joint address to the two Houses by Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar at the Central Hall, followed by the move to seek a trust vote by the Kumar-led government.

The election of a new assembly speaker, who would succeed Awadh Bihari Choudhary, is also scheduled for February 12.

Soon after the swearing-in of the new government, senior BJP leader Nand Kishore Yadav, former CM Jitan Ram Manjhi, former deputy CM Tarkishore Prasad, JD-U leader Ratnesh Sada and others had served the no-confidence notice against the incumbent speaker.

“If the speaker resigns on his own, which usually happens to make way for the speaker from the ruling dispensation, it is fine. Else, it will be taken up for discussion after 14 days, which will be completed before the start of the session. It is as per procedure,” said BJP leader Anand Kishore Yadav.

On the very first day, the new government would introduce the Bihar economic survey. The state budget will be presented on February 13 and thereafter different departments’ budgets will be discussed.

“The budget, as well as the economic survey, have gone for printing, but the final print is delayed for want of the name of the finance minister due to delay in portfolio allocation,” said a senior state finance department official, who did not want to be quoted.

The portfolio allocation to the eight ministers who took oath is expected any day before the commencement of the budget session, a senior BJP leader said.