Shinde-Fadnavis govt to table its first budget on March 9

The eight-month-old Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government will table its maiden budget on March 9 to chart the course for rapid development of Maharashtra and transformation of urban centres like Mumbai in the run-up to the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha polls in 2024.

The Budget session of the Maharashtra Legislature will be held between February 27 and March 25.

On opening day, Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari will address the joint session of the legislature. Fadnavis, who holds the Finance portfolio, will table the Budget for the financial year 2023-24 on March 9.

Dates were finalised at the Business Advisory Meeting held in the Vidhan Bhavan complex at Nariman Point on Wednesday.

The meeting was attended by Chief Minister Shinde, Deputy Chief Minister Fadnavis, Speaker of Assembly Rahul Narwekar, Deputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal, Deputy Chairperson of Council Neelam Gorhe, Leader of Opposition in Assembly Ajit Pawar, his counterpart in Council Ambadas Danve, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Chandrakant Patil among others.

The opening session will start with the rendition of ‘Vande Mataram’, the national song followed by 'Jai Jai Maharashtra Maza, Garja Maharashtra Maza', which has recently been designated as the state song.

The government proposes to table resolutions on the occasion of the platinum jubilee of Marathwada Mukti Sangram Day, a special discussion in both houses to mark International Women's Day (March 8), while the budget will be discussed for three days followed by six days of debate on the budget demands.