KOLKATA: The West Bengal government has decided to advance the state budget for the financial year 2018-19 to January 31, parliamentary affairs minister Partha Chatterjee said on Saturday.
On Friday, Chatterjee had said the state budget will be presented on February 1.
Chatterjee, however, didn't cite any reason for the change in date.
The decision was taken at yesterday's Business Advisory committee meeting of the state Assembly which was boycotted by opposition Congress. The Left Front also stayed away from the meeting.
"We boycotted today's meeting as the state government is functioning in an arbitrary way. We are not servants of TMC government that we will support every decision of the state government," Leader of opposition Abdul Mannan said.
Left Front legislature party leader Sujan Chakraborty said he was informed at the last moment and it was impossible for him to attend as he has other prior engagement.
Chatterjee said the budget session of the Assembly will start on January 30 and continue till February 8.
West Bengal governor K N Tripathi will address the Assembly on the opening day as is customary and the budget will be placed on January 31, he said.