The brief budget session of both Houses of the State legislature would start from February 19 with state Governor B l Joshi addressing a joint session.
Earlier, the cabinet had authorised Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav to finalise dates for the same. It would be a brief week-long session with the Samajwadi Party government likely to opt for vote-on-account.Sources in the Government said here on Tuesday that indications have been sent to the Assembly secretariat to gear up for a small budget session in February. ''Do not expect a full budget in this session. It would be vote-on-account for first four months of 2014-15 and a full budget session would be held in June,'' the official said. This session being the first this year, will have the Governor address the joint house of the legislature on the openingday.
The last session of the Assembly was held in December when the government took the second supplementary grants for the current fiscal. ''There is no pressure on the government to go for full budget now. The government can go for vote-on-account. This has been done earlier too and we can follow the same recedence,''
Samajwadi party spokesman Rajendra Chaudhry said here.It is believed that notification for lok Sabha elections would be announced any time on the last week of February. Post notification, there would be increase in political activities in the state and political parties would be in no position to spare enough time for the legislative work. The Opposition, however, wants the state government to present a complete budget instead of taking vote-on-account. ''What's the need. The Government could summon Budget session on the first week of February and continue it till the end of this month,'' leader BJP legislature party leader Hukum Singh said.