West Bengal budget session kicks off today, Governor to address house after year-long hiatus

The West Bengal Legislative Assembly’s budget session starts today, with Governor C.V. Ananda Bose addressing the House. This marks a return to tradition after last year’s omission. In 2023, the budget session began without the usual governor’s address. The Trinamool Congress (TMC) explained the decision, saying the session continued from the previous one.

The party had strained relations with the Raj Bhavan at the time. This year, however, the session will follow the traditional format. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sovandeb Chattopadhyay confirmed the governor’s address would take place. State Finance Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya will present the budget on February 12.

The budget discussions will continue until February 19. The Assembly will reconvene in March for additional proceedings. In 2023, the state government argued that since the winter session was not prorogued but only adjourned, a fresh governor’s address was unnecessary.

Speaker Biman Banerjee backed this view. Governor Bose took office in November 2022. His tenure has seen frequent clashes with the TMC government. However, in recent months, tensions have begun to ease. The return of the governor’s address signals a potential improvement in relations, allowing smoother legislative operations moving forward.