Jammu , Jan 12 : Legislative Assembly Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather met Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to discuss the schedule for the upcoming budget session, including the date for presenting the 2026-27 budget. Sources said the official session calendar is expected to be released shortly.
Speaker Rather told reporters that the session will be held in two phases, with the budget being passed in the first phase, followed by other legislative business in the second. He added that the need for double sittings will depend on the volume of work before the House.
Regarding the ongoing paperless Assembly project, Rather said a review with senior officials will take place in the next few days to decide the extent of implementation. “If full rollout is not possible, a partial implementation will be aimed for,” he said.
Sources indicated that the budget is likely to be presented between February 5 and 7, allowing the Finance Department time to finalize figures after the Union Budget on February 1. The session will begin on February 2 with Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha’s address at 10 AM. Debate on the LG’s address is expected to last two to three days, followed by the Chief Minister’s reply and then the budget presentation. The pre-budget Economic Survey is likely to be tabled a day before the budget.
The 2026-27 budget is expected to be passed before Ramadan, which begins around February 20, with the remaining legislative business scheduled after Eid on March 21. Last year, Omar Abdullah presented a budget of Rs 1,12,310 crore for 2025-26, down from Rs 1,18,728 crore in 2024-25. This will be his second budget as Chief Minister, following his first presentation in March 2025.
