Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], March 9 (ANI): The Budget Session of the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly is set to commence tomorrow, with the Governor of Himachal Pradesh, Shiv Pratap Shukla, delivering his opening address.

The session, scheduled to run from March 10 to March 28, will include a total of 16 sittings. Discussions on the Governor's address are planned from March 11 to March 13.

In a significant prelude to the budget session, an all-party meeting was convened on Sunday under the chairmanship of Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Pathania. The meeting witnessed the participation of Leader of Opposition Jairam Thakur, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Harshvardhan Chauhan, Deputy Chief Whip Kewal Singh Pathania, and BJP Chief Whip Sukhram Chaudhary.

Responding to the opposition's demands, Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania acknowledged the amicable atmosphere of the all-party meeting and confirmed that the issues raised would be deliberated in the Assembly.

'The all-party meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere. The demand to extend the session and change the budget presentation time has been raised. We will decide on these matters as per the rules of the House,' said Pathania.

The opposition, led by Jairam Thakur, expressed concern over the shortened duration of the budget session. The session, which was traditionally 20 days long, has been reduced to 16 days, which the opposition believes is insufficient for comprehensive discussions on crucial public issues.

'The session has been reduced from 20 days to just 16 days, which is inadequate for proper discussion,' said Jairam Thakur. He also emphasized that only three days have been allocated for discussing the Governor's address, despite the need for all members to voice their opinions. Thakur further urged that for the budget, scheduled to be presented on March 17 (Monday) at 2:00 PM, the opposition has demanded that they should follow the earlier tradition of presenting the Budget at 11:00 AM.

'We have requested the Speaker to ensure that the budget presentation time is reverted to 11:00 AM as it was done previously. Moreover, the opposition will forcefully raise all public interest issues in the Assembly,' Thakur asserted

The parliamentary affairs minister, Harshvardhan Chauhan, shared the details of the session and expected from the opposition a cordial session for the issues of the people of the state.

The budget session will feature a few key events and points of discussion. On the beginning day, March 10, the session will begin with the Governor's address. March 11-13, there will be Discussions on the Governor's address. On March 17, the Chief Minister will present the state budget at 2:00 PM, despite the opposition's demand to revert to the morning slot. The dates of March 22 & 27 have been designated as non-official days., On March 26, the Assembly will pass the budget for the financial year 2025-26. Total Questions: During the session, a total of 963 questions have been scheduled, out of which 737 are starred (requiring oral answers) and 226 are unstarred (requiring written answers).

Additionally, under Rule 62, 9 notices have been received for discussion, 5 notices under Rule 101, and 10 notices under Rule 130 have been submitted for debate.

Given the importance of the budget session, strict security arrangements have been put in place. Approximately 1,000 police personnel will be deployed to ensure the Assembly's and its members' security. Every individual entering the premises will be under strict surveillance.

The budget session, despite being shortened, is expected to witness heated debates and intense discussions, with the opposition determined to raise critical public issues. The Assembly is now poised for a dynamic and eventful session starting tomorrow, March 10. (ANI)