Kolkata, May 15: The budget session of the West Bengal assembly will begin on June 18, with the full state budget scheduled to be presented on June 22, Speaker Rathindra Bose said on Friday.
This will be the first budget session of the new BJP government in the state, with Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari holding the Finance portfolio.
As assembly elections were held, the previous TMC government had presented a vote-on-account in February, in keeping with convention. The interim arrangement was valid for four months.
With the presentation of the full-fledged budget now due, the state government has directed all departments to begin preparations, a senior official said.
“Departments have been asked to frame their proposals keeping in mind the policy priorities and flagship programmes of the new government,” he said.
“Plans are being drawn up to rein in borrowings and simultaneously increase spending in the infrastructure sector to create long-term assets,” he said.
Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Agarwal has already held discussions with senior Finance Department officials on these issues, he added.
Officials are currently reviewing allocations made under various heads in the vote-on-account budget.
Departments have also been asked to focus on administrative and financial reforms while finalising their budget proposals, the official said.
