SRINAGAR: The maiden Budget session of Jammu and Kashmir Assembly after over seven years has started in Jammu, the winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir. The Budget Session started with Lt Governor Manoj Sinha’s address today.
The legislators were instructed to maintain decorum and attentively listen to LG’s address, which started at 10 am. In his address, the Lt Governor talked about power capacity and installation of smart meters. He also talked about good governance, transparency, inclusive development, and industrial expansion.
Talking about the budget, he said it carried significance as it is the first budget to be presented by an elected government in J&K in over seven years.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who is also finance minister of J&K, will present the budget on March 7.
It will be after over seven years that the budget will be presented in J&K Assembly. The last budget was presented by then PDP finance minister Dr Haseen Drabu in the Assembly in February 2018.After the Lt Governor’s address, the obituary reference of five persons will be taken up in the house today.
They include former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, former Minister Syed Ghulam Hussain Geelani, ex Rajya Sabha member, Shamsher Singh Manhas and former legislators Ghulam Hassan Parrey and Choudhary Piara Singh.The Assembly will debate Lt Governor's address on March 4, 5 and 6.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah will reply to the debate on March 6.