JKLA Speaker meets CM Omar; Budget date, Assembly session schedule discussed

JAMMU — Speaker of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, Abdul Rahim Rather, on Sunday met Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to discuss key aspects of the upcoming budget session, including the date for presentation of the budget and other important legislative matters, sources said.

Unnamed sources, quoted by the news agency KNC, said that the meeting focused on finalising the budget session calendar, which is expected to be released shortly.

Chief Minister, who also holds the Finance portfolio, is likely to present the budget between February 5 and February 7, after the presentation of the Union Budget by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on February 1, as Jammu and Kashmir’s budget depends on Central allocations.

Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather has said that the budget session would be held in two phases, with the budget expected to be passed during the first phase, while the remaining legislative business would be taken up in the second phase.

On the possibility of double sittings, the Speaker said the decision would depend on the volume of business before the House. “If the business is more and time is limited, we can go for double sittings,” Rather said.

Regarding the proposed paperless Assembly project, the Speaker said that its full implementation may be delayed. He said a review meeting with senior officers would be held in the next two to three days to assess the progress. “If the project cannot be fully implemented, we will try to implement it partially,” he added.

Sources further said that various other issues related to the functioning of the Assembly also came up during the discussion between the Speaker and the Chief Minister.

As per the established schedule, the budget session of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislature is likely to begin on February 2 with the address of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha. The debate on the LG’s address is expected to continue for two to three days, followed by the Chief Minister’s reply, after which the budget will be tabled.

The Chief Minister is also expected to present the Economic Survey a day ahead of the budget presentation. This will be Omar Abdullah’s second budget as Finance Minister.

Sources said the budget is likely to be passed before the beginning of the holy month of Ramadhan, around February 20, while the remaining legislative business may be taken up after Eid.

Notably, Omar Abdullah had presented the current financial year’s budget (2025-26) on March 7, 2025, amounting to Rs 1.12 lakh crore. His first budget in 2025 marked the return of budget presentation in the Assembly after six years, as earlier budgets were passed in Parliament following the imposition of President’s Rule in 2018.