The Budget session of Haryana Vidhan Sabha, which will begin on Friday, is likely to be stormy as the opposition Congress will try to corner the ruling BJP over a host of issues, including unemployment, paper leak, rising debt, law and order and farmers' plight.
The meeting of the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) was held under the chairmanship of Harvinder Kalyan at the Haryana Vidhan Sabha on Thursday. The Budget Session of the Haryana Vidhan Sabha will begin on Friday and continue until March 28. As Finance Minister, he will present the state budget for the financial year 2025-26 on March 17. Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, who also holds the Finance portfolio, will present the state budget for the financial year 2025-26 on March 17. The session will commence on March 7 with the Governor’s address. Following discussions on the Governor’s address, the budget will be presented on March 17. During the BAC meeting, there were positive discussions on the bills to be presented during the session, the duration of the session, and other important matters, said Kalyan. Apart from Chief Minister, Minister Parliamentary Affairs and Education Minister Mahipal Dhanda, Transport Minister Anil Vij, Senior Congress leader and MLA Bhupinder Singh Hooda and others were present in the BAC meeting.
As per the tentative schedule of the Budget session, the session will begin with the Governor's Address. There will be general discussion in the House on the Governor's Address on March 10, 11 and 12. Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, who also holds the Finance portfolio, is likely to present the State budget on March 13. The general discussion on the budget will take place on March 17 and 18. The budget session will continue till March 25.
Meanwhile, during the budget session, the government is likely to bring a fresh version of the bill on the regulation of travel agents. Haryana Chief Minister Saini had recently said the travel agents involved in sending the state youth abroad through illegal routes are being identified and strict action will be taken against them. The government has made full planning to implement the 'Lado Lakshmi Yojana'. Ahead of the October 2024 Haryana polls, the BJP had promised Rs 2,100 to women as monthly financial assistance for the women under this scheme if the party returned to power. The Budget Session is coming up and we will be making the provision of its budget, Saini had said.
Meanwhile, ahead of the presentation of the budget, Saini, in recent weeks, held pre-budget consultations with diverse groups to gather suggestions. He also sought suggestions from ruling and opposition MLAs. Saini had on Tuesday said that the state budget for 2025-26 will be growth-oriented, with a special focus on sectors such as agriculture, education, health, sports, infrastructure, and women empowerment. He emphasised that the budget will lay a strong foundation for the state's progress and contribute to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of 'Viksit Bharat' (developed India) by 2047. "Our goal is to present a budget that drives prosperity for every citizen of the state," he added. Saini said the state government is working to improve the lives of people through various reforms. The state government has brought about a revolutionary change in governance over the past 10 years, marking the most significant transformation in over a decade, Saini had said.
Talking to Reporters, Senior Congress leader and former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said that his party will strongly raise the issues including paper leak, unemployment, law and order and corruption. "It has become clear to the entire State that the BJP is protecting the paper leak mafia, because one paper after another is getting leaked and there have been scams in every paper from the state board exams to recruitment under this government," Hooda added. He further alleged, "One after the other, scams, including those related to mining, are being exposed. Corruption, unemployment and crime are continuously increasing in the state." The Senior Congress leader said that the damage to farmers' crops because of recent heavy rain, "deteriorating law and order, rising debt" and other issues will also be raised by the party. In the statement, Indian National Lok Dal said that the party will prominently raise various issues related to public interest during the budget session.
Congress is yet to name Congress Legislative Party leader
With the Assembly session beginning from Friday, the Congress party is yet to name the Congress Legislative Party (CLP) leader. Sources said that the Haryana Congress remains divided over leadership appointments, with no clear consensus on the selection of the new CLP leader. After BJP rode to power for a third consecutive term in Haryana in last year's Assembly polls, the Congress MLAs have attended three sittings of the Assembly without a Leader of Opposition.
Party sources said that senior Congress leader Hooda has put forward two names for the opposition leader position while also lobbying for his son’s appointment as Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) president. Yet, there is no clear consensus within the party on selecting the new CLP leader, as a faction opposes Hooda’s claim to the post. They further said that the majority of MLAs support Hooda who served as the Leader of the Opposition in the previous assembly.
Haryana Congress, in a meeting on Wednesday, urged BK Hariprasad, the newly appointed state in-charge, to expedite the appointment of CLP leader ahead of the budget session beginning on March 7. The party emphasized that having a CLP leader in place is “extremely important” to ensure effective representation as the opposition leader in the assembly.
Nearly five months have passed since Congress suffered its third consecutive defeat to the BJP in Haryana since 2014, yet the party has not named its legislature party leader. As a result, Congress MLAs have attended three assembly sittings without a designated LoP, raising concerns over the party’s effectiveness in the house.