Odisha Assembly session from June 25, budget on Jun 28

The first session of the 16th Odisha Legislative Assembly will commence from June 25 and the state government will present the annual budget for 2019-20 fiscal on June 28, a notification issued by the Assembly secretariat said.

The session, which will have 30 working days in two phases, will also witness new Finance minister Niranjan Pujari presenting the budget on June 28.

The Appropriation Bill on the budget for the year 2019-20 will be introduced in the Assembly on July 31.

The notification said the session will begin with Governor Ganeshi Lal's address to the House. The election for deputy speaker's post will be held on June 27.

The first phase of the Assembly session will be held from June 25 to July 2 and the second phase will resume from July 12 and will continue till August 8.

The first session of the 16th OLA will also witness BJP for the first time taking the role of the state's main opposition party in the House. Congress was the main opposition party in the Assembly ever since the BJD government came to power in Odisha in 2000.

The BJP legislature party was yet to name its leader in the Assembly. Former Ministers Jay Narayan Mishra and Pradipta Naik are the front runners for the post of leader of opposition from among the newly elected BJP MLAs.