Post News Network
Bhubaneswar: With the state government yet to take a final decision on the layout of the budget for 2016-17 and the date of commencement of the ensuing Budget session, an all-party meeting convened by Assembly Speaker Niranjan Pujari is scheduled to be held Monday.
Sources said the meeting will focus on ensuring smooth running of the House during the Budget session. The date of commencement of the budget session is likely to be decided in this meeting along with some other proposals and issues, said sources.
While the Assembly secretariat had given a proposal to the parliamentary affairs department for starting the budget session of the Assembly February 9, the state government, which is apparently in a fix over the budget proposals, is yet to finalise the date for commencement of the session.
Assembly secretary Amiya Sarangi had earlier told this news paper that the date of the commencement of the budget session is likely to be finalised after the all-party meeting to convened by the Speaker.
Sources said the state government, which faced a financial crunch after tabling a `84,000-crore budget in 2015-16 due to the delinking of eight major welfare schemes from central funding and curtailing of funds in various schemes by the Centre, is in confusion on whether to table a complete budge or an interim budget.
Meanwhile, the Opposition parties have criticised the move for an all-party meeting, which is being held for the first ever time during the BJD regime.