By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, January 30, 2017 : The Budget session of Odisha Assembly will begin from February 22. This was decided at the all-party meeting presided over by Speaker Niranjan Pujari here on Monday.

Pujari said since the model code of conduct is in force for the ensuing Panchayat elections scheduled to kick off on mid-February, the budget session would begin from February 22 only after the Panchayat elections.

The Speaker also said as per the new Parliamentary systems, the budget session will have two phases. The first phase will begin from February 22 to March 4 while the second phase will begin from March 14 till the last day of the session on April 7.

During the session, the full-fledged budget will be presented in the State Assembly, he added.

“Like the Parliament which passes the vote on account prior to the full-fledged budget, we have adopted the same practice. Since the House has already passed the vote on account, the full-fledged budget would be presented during this session on February 27,” the Speaker added.

He said the no decision was taken at the meeting on specific time limit of the budget session.

Leader of the Opposition Narasingh Mishra said the meeting unanimously decided to begin the budget session from February 22. “The Speaker will send the proposal on the commencement of the Assembly session to the Governor for his approval,” he added.

Finance minister Pradip Amat said the meeting unanimously decided to begin the Assembly session after the Panchayat elections. Accordingly, the House would seek the approval of the Governor for the commencement of the Assembly session.

He said the meeting decided that the Appropriation Bill would be passed by March 31.

The Finance minister further said the state government in its pre-budget meeting has placed its demands before the Union Finance minister for more budget allocations for Railway and other sectors.

“We hope that the Centre will accept our demands,” he noted.