Bhubaneswar, Jan 30 (IANS) The Budget session of the Odisha Assembly is set to begin on February 17 with the address of Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati.

According to Assembly sources, the sixth session of the 17th Odisha Assembly is scheduled to conclude on April 8.

The session will be held in two phases and will have 28 working days.

As per the poll schedule, following the address of Governor Kambhampati on February 17, the House will discuss the Motion of Thanks on the Governor’s address till February 19.

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who also holds the Finance department portfolio, will present the budget for the Financial Year 2026–2027 on February 20.

Meanwhile, the Appropriation Bill on the budget for the year 2026–2027 will be introduced and moved in the state Assembly on March 31.

Experts have expressed the hope that the budget for the Financial Year 2026–27 would be crucial in view of the impending elections to the Panchayats and urban local bodies.

The state government is likely to announce several important schemes and programmes aimed at wooing voters in both rural and urban areas of the state ahead of the elections.

The forthcoming budget session of the Odisha Assembly is also likely to witness intense debates between the ruling BJP and the opposition parties — Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Congress — over various issues.

The Opposition is expected to corner the state government in the House over issues such as mismanagement in paddy procurement, rising incidents of crime against women in the state, the alleged fleecing of vehicle owners in the name of Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificates, the installation of smart electricity meters, among others.

In a historic moment, President Droupadi Murmu addressed the House during the previous session of the 17th Odisha Assembly on November 27, 2025.

–IANS

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