Jammu, Feb 1 (NationPress) The budget session of the J&K Legislative Assembly, spanning 27 days, is set to commence on Monday. This session is anticipated to be contentious as the opposition gears up to challenge the ruling National Conference (NC) government led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.

Key issues expected to dominate discussions include the regularization of daily wagers, the government's performance and achievements since the previous budget, and the demand for the restoration of statehood to J&K.

Omar Abdullah, who also serves as the finance minister, is slated to present the budget in the assembly on February 6.

Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha will inaugurate the assembly session tomorrow, with all preparations finalized to ensure smoother proceedings and effective use of time.

Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather has discussed security arrangements with relevant officials.

He mentioned that media representatives were briefed about the proceedings, and their requests for a smooth functioning of the assembly were noted.

On Friday, an all-party meeting was convened, where various political party representatives participated.

Discussions revolved around making the session more beneficial for the populace. The Business Advisory Committee was involved in finalizing the agenda. The provisional calendar prepared earlier has been confirmed and will be presented to the House alongside the Business Advisory Committee's report.

The assembly will primarily operate in a double-shift mode to maximize time efficiency. The Speaker urged members to effectively utilize the question hour.

He also called on the government to come fully prepared to respond adequately.

Stressing the opposition's role, Rather indicated its duty to scrutinize the government and ensure accountability, emphasizing that criticism should be constructive and grounded.

This marks the second budget presented by the Omar Abdullah-led NC government since assuming office on October 16, 2024.

According to the assembly calendar issued by the Speaker, the budget session will conclude on April 4 and will occur in three phases: the first phase before the holy month of Ramzan and the latter two phases following Eid-ul-Fitr in March and April.

Ramzan is expected to begin on February 18 or 19, contingent on the sighting of the crescent moon. On February 6, the chief minister will present the budget for the financial year 2026-27 along with the Supplementary Statement of Expenditure for 2025-26.

The months of March and April will feature five and four business days, respectively.

Opposition parties, including the BJP, PDP, and Congress, are poised to challenge the government regarding its electoral promises and the execution of last year’s budget commitments.

Anticipating a vigorous offensive, opposition benches are likely to accuse the government of failing to deliver on its electoral assurances.

The BJP plans to scrutinize the administration concerning governance, job creation, and public welfare initiatives.

This session is projected to be marked by intense exchanges, with the opposition preparing to confront the government on multiple issues, such as the regularization of daily wagers, demolition drives, and perceived discrimination.

The financial and human aspects of the regularization of daily wagers were assigned to a committee headed by the Chief Secretary, with directions to submit its findings within six months.

The committee has delivered its report to the government, albeit after a delay of ten months. This report is likely to be presented in the House for debate.

Over 60,000 daily wagers from the public health engineering (PHE) department are anxiously awaiting the Assembly session on Monday to determine their future, which has been in limbo for over two decades.