Union Budget on Feb 1, Parliament session starts Jan 29, say reports

The Budget session will be held in two parts: from January 29 to February 15 and then from March 8 to April 8

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the Union Budget on February 1, after Parliament meets on January 29 with protocols in place for the coronavirus pandemic, said media reports on Tuesday.

The Budget session would be held in two parts: from January 29 to February 15 and then from March 8 to April 8, news agency PTI reported quoting sources on the Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs' recommendations.

President Ram Nath Kovind will address a joint sitting of the two Houses of Parliament on January 29, and the Budget will be presented on February 1.

The government in December cancelled the winter session of parliament, citing the coronavirus pandemic. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi had said in a letter to the Congress's Lok Sabha leader that all political parties were in favour of scrapping the session.

"I have informally contacted floor leaders of various political parties and they have expressed their concerns about the ongoing pandemic and opined of doing away with Winter Session,” he had said.