Shillong, March 13: The Budget Session of the 11th Meghalaya Legislative Assembly will be held from March 20 to March 28. The calendar for the upcoming session was approved during a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) chaired by the Assembly Speaker Thomas A. Sangma here on Monday.

The meeting was attended by deputy chief minister in-charge parliamentary affairs Prestone Tynsong, former minister Lahkmen Rymbui and opposition members – Charles Pyngrope of the AITC and Dr Celestine Lyngdoh of the Congress.

“We decided to have a full Budget Session starting from March 20 till March 28,” Sangma told reporters.

He added, “Since it is the financial year ending month so our officials and the government need to clear all the pending financial issues so we decided to end the budget session on March 28 so that March 29 to 31 will be available for the officials in the secretariat and districts to clear the financial dues.”

He said there will be seven working days of which government business has been allotted five days while two days are for private members’ business.

Sangma also informed that the election of the Deputy Speaker will be held on March 20. “We are giving notification from tomorrow so that intending candidates can file their nominations and we will have the election on the first day of the budget session,” he said.

The Speaker further said, “It is up to them (opposition parties). If they file the nomination everyone is welcome. But if they don’t file, of course like me, the Deputy Speaker will also be elected unopposed.”

According to him, the full budget will be presented by the Chief Minister on March 23.

When asked, Sangma said, “It is five days for government business. It is at the discretion of the Speaker so I may extend the time. I have sat in Parliament where discussion went till midnight 12 am, so, if not till midnight, but (we) will have till late evening if necessary.”

Meanwhile, the Speaker informed that he has received applications from the Congress and All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) requesting for his recognition while the Voice of the People Party (VPP) has not submitted any kind of indication to be part of the opposition bench.

“The office is examining the matter,” he said while adding that the Congress and AITC are seeking recognition as separate entities and not as a Forum.