Budget Session to begin from Feb 20: Speaker

Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 18: The Budget Session of the 12th Kerala Legislative Assembly will begin on February 20 with policy address by Governor R L Bhatia, Speaker K Radhakrishnan said today.

Informing this to the mediaperson, Mr Radhakrishnan said the Budget for financial year 2008-09 and Vote on Account would be presented by Finance Minister Thomas Isaac on March 6.

Bills concerning Coir Workers Welfare Cess, entrusting Devaswom Board appointments to Public Service Commission, Protection of Paddy Fields from filling and Fish Workers Debt Relief would be presented during the 14-day-long session.

The Subject Committee had already submited the first two Bills, with the Select Committee yet to present the other two.

Mr Radhakrishnan expressed hope that the Seventh session would be conducted smoothly with the cooperation from both the Ruling and Opposition Benches The session was likely to be stormy as the Congress-led Opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) had started a series of agitations against the price hike of essential commodities and allegations over the ISRO and HMT land deals.

UNI