Union budget session extended till February 10

The ongoing Budget Session of Parliament has been extended by a day, stretching until February 10, as announced by Speaker Om Birla in the Lower House. This session the last before the anticipated Lok Sabha polls in April-May, commenced with President Droupadi Murmu's address to the joint sitting of the two Houses on January 31 and was initially scheduled to conclude on February 9.

In the Rajya Sabha, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar also confirmed the extension of the session for one additional day. The decision to prolong the session comes amidst speculation regarding the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government presenting a 'white paper' on the economy, comparing the performance of the previous Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government with the current BJP-led NDA government.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, during the presentation of the Union Interim Budget on February 1, had announced the intention to release a 'White Paper.' She emphasized the government's successful efforts in steering the economy towards high sustainable growth since assuming office in 2014.

Sitharaman stated, "The crisis of those years has been overcome, and the economy has been put firmly on a high sustainable growth path with all-round development." The proposed 'White Paper' aims to evaluate the economic journey from 2004 to 2014 and draw lessons from the challenges faced during that period.
Highlighting the government's commitment to governance, development, and effective delivery, Sitharaman expressed confidence in realizing the goal of 'Viksit Bharat' with the support and blessings of the people. The extended Budget Session now provides additional time for crucial discussions and deliberations on these important economic matters.