Chandigarh, Mar 6 (PTI) The three-week long budget session of Haryana assembly will begin here on Friday and the budget will be presented on March 17.

The session is likely to be stormy as the opposition Congress said it will raise a host of issues, including unemployment, paper leak, rising debt, law and order and farmers' plight.

In the meeting of the Business Advisory Committee of the Assembly, which was presided over by Speaker Harvinder Kalyan and in which Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and some opposition leaders also remained present, recommended the duration of the House sittings.

Speaking to reporters here on Thursday evening after a meeting of the BAC and an all-party meeting which was convened by the Speaker ahead of the session, Saini said the session will begin with the Governor's Address.

Saini said the budget session will begin on March 7 and continue till March 28.

The budget estimates for 2025-26 will be presented on March 17 by Saini, who also holds the Finance portfolio.

Earlier, according to the tentative schedule of the budget session, it was to be held from March 7 to 25 with budget presentation on March 13.

Replying to a question, Saini said some important bills will also be brought during the budget session.

In the all-party meeting, all the parties were unanimous about the state government's move to have a new building of Haryana Vidhan Sabha built here.

According to a statement, at present, there is space available for only 90 MLAs to sit in the present House of Haryana Legislative Assembly. In such a situation, it is not possible to conduct the proceedings of the House in view of the increase in the number of assembly constituencies in the state due to the delimitation to be held in the near future, it was felt.

Speaking to reporters here after the BAC meeting, Congress leader and former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said his party will raise various issues during the session including "paper leak, unemployment, law and order corruption, illegal mining, rising debt, farmers issue".

On Thursday evening, Haryana Congress chief Udai Bhan held a meeting of party MLAs ahead of the assembly session beginning Friday.

Speaking to reporters later, Udai Bhan said the Saini government has failed on various fronts.

Bhan claimed that the government made tall promises at the time of October assembly elections including giving Rs 2,100 to women under 'Lado Lakshmi Yojana' and procure paddy at Rs 3,100 per quintal, but nothing has been done yet.

Indian National Lok Dal has said the party will prominently raise various issues related to public interest during the budget session.

Meanwhile, with the Assembly session beginning Friday, the Congress party is yet to name the Congress Legislative Party (CLP) leader.

After BJP rode to power for a third consecutive term in Haryana in last year's Assembly polls, the Congress MLAs have attended three sittings of the Assembly without a Leader of Opposition.

Ruling BJP also took potshots at this, with Minister Anil Vij saying, "there is internal conflict in the Congress. Many Congress MLAs want Bhupinder Hooda to be Leader of Opposition, but Congress high command does not want him. This is the reason the matter is stuck".

Meanwhile, during the budget session, the government is going to bring a fresh version of the bill on the regulation of travel agents.

CM Saini had recently said the travel agents involved in sending the state youth abroad through illegal routes are being identified and strict action will be taken against them.

Saini had also said the government has made full planning to implement the 'Lado Lakshmi Yojana'.

Ahead of the October 2024 Haryana polls, the BJP had promised Rs 2,100 to women as monthly financial assistance for the women under this scheme if the party returned to power.

The Budget Session is coming up and we will be making the provision of its budget, Saini had said.

Meanwhile, ahead of the presentation of the budget, Saini, in recent weeks, held pre-budget consultations with diverse groups to gather valuable suggestions. He also sought suggestions from ruling and opposition MLAs.

Saini had on Tuesday said that the state budget for 2025-26 will be growth-oriented, with a special focus on sectors such as agriculture, education, health, sports, infrastructure, and women empowerment. PTI SUN NB NB

Budget session to introduce finance measures and a travel-agents regulation bill amid opposition protests over governance. The state's three-week budget session will open with the Governor's address and include presentation of the finance minister's budget estimates; the government will introduce bills including a renewed bill on regulation of travel agents and proposals for a new assembly building. Pre-budget consultations informed a growth-oriented budget emphasis on agriculture, education, health, infrastructure and women's empowerment. Opposition parties intend to press a range of policy grievances-unemployment, alleged paper leak, law and order, corruption, illegal mining, rising debt and farmers' distress-and internal opposition leadership disputes may shape legislative debate.