President addresses budget session of Parliament

New Delhi, Feb 12: The Budget Session of Parliament has begun with the President, Pratibha Patil's speech.

President Pratibha Patil is addressing a joint session of both Houses of Parliament.

The Interim Railway Budget for 2009-10 will be presented in the Lok Sabha on Friday, Feb 13. The Interim General Budget for 2009-10 will be presented on February 16.

The session will provide ten sittings spread over a period of 15 days.

During this last session, the BJP is likely raise the issue of the sacking of Election Commissioner Navin Chawla over charges of partisanship. BJP leader L K Advani is expected to demand a judicial probe on terror attacks.

The Congress is likely to question the BJP on the Ram Temple.

Thirty-nine items (27 bills, ten financial items and two non-legislative items) have been identified for consideration during this session. These include three Bills replacing Ordinances, namely: (i) the High Court and Supreme Court Judges (Salaries and Conditions of Service) Amendment Ordinance, 2009 (No. 1 of 2009); (ii) the Central Industrial Security Force (Amendment) Ordinance, 2009 (No. 2 of 2009); and (iii) the Central Universities Ordinance, 2009 (No. 3 of 2009), promulgated by the President during inter-session period.

The session may conclude on Feb 26, 2009 subject to exigencies of Government business.

ANI