Jaipur, Jan 6 (IANS) Assembly Speaker Vasudev Devnani will convene an all-party meeting ahead of the Budget Session of the State Legislative Assembly, which begins on January 28.

After the Governor’s approval, the Assembly Secretariat issued the official notification convening the Budget Session late on Monday evening. All MLAs have been informed accordingly. The session will commence on January 28 with the Governor’s address and is expected to continue until March.

In the Governor’s address, the government will outline its major achievements. On the first day of the session, January 28, after the Governor’s address and tributes to deceased leaders, the House proceedings will be adjourned. This will be followed by a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee (BAC), which will decide the agenda and schedule of the Budget Session. A debate on the Governor’s address will take place for three to four days, followed by the government’s reply. After the government’s response, a week-long break is likely. The budget may be presented in the second week of February, though a final decision is yet to be taken.

The government is expected to announce several new programmes and may also launch multiple new schemes. The government is preparing to introduce a bill during the Budget Session to remove the two-child norm in Panchayati Raj and urban local body elections. Two separate bills will be brought to amend the Panchayati Raj Act and the Municipal Act. Drafts of the bills are ready. In addition, around half a dozen other bills may also be introduced during the session.

The Budget Session is expected to be turbulent. Leader of Opposition Tikaram Jully said that the Congress Legislature Party was fully prepared to challenge the government on all fronts. He stated that this session will serve as a report card of the government’s two-year performance.

Jully alleged that the government has developed a new practice of making exaggerated announcements in the budget and later cancelling them, citing a lack of feasibility. “For the first time in history, feasibility checks are being conducted after announcements, whereas this should be done beforehand. The upcoming budget will be nothing more than a formality,” he said.

He further alleged that the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) limits are being breached, and a large portion of taxpayers’ money is being spent solely on servicing interest payments. “There is a competition between the Centre and the state government over who can push the country and the state deeper into debt,” Jully added.

–IANS

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