Parliament Extends Budget Session to February 10

The Budget Session of Parliament, slated to conclude on February 9, has been extended by a day until February 10. The current session, marking the last before the Lok Sabha polls expected in April-May, commenced with President Droupadi Murmu addressing the joint sitting of the two Houses on January 31.

Announcing the extension in the Lower House, Speaker Om Birla stated, “Honorable Minister of Parliamentary Affairs has proposed that the 15th session of the 17th Lok Sabha be extended till Saturday, 10 February 2024, to dispose of the necessary government business.” Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar also extended the session for an additional day in the Rajya Sabha.

This decision comes amidst speculation about the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government presenting a ‘white paper’ on the economy, comparing the economic performance of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government with that of the BJP-led NDA government over the last ten years.

During the presentation of the Union Interim Budget on February 1, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the government’s intention to release a ‘White Paper.’ She highlighted the achievements of the Modi government since assuming office in 2014, overcoming economic challenges and placing the economy on a sustainable growth path.

“In 2014 when our Government assumed the reins, the responsibility to mend the economy step by step and to put the governance systems in order was enormous. The need of the hour was to give hope to the people, to attract investments, and to build support for the much-needed reforms. The government did that successfully following our strong belief of ‘nation-first,'” she remarked.

Sitharaman emphasized that the proposed White Paper aims to analyze the economic trajectory from the pre-2014 period to the present, with the goal of learning from the challenges faced in the past. She expressed confidence in the government’s governance, development, and performance, garnering the trust and support of the people for realizing the vision of a developed India in the years and decades to come.