Cabinet likely to decide schedule for Budget session tomorrow

The schedule for the Budget session of Parliament is likely to be decided at a meeting of the Union Cabinet tomorrow.

The meeting will be held shortly before the departure of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for the SCO and BRIC Summit being held in Yekaterinburg, Russia. Indications so far are that the Union Budget is likely to be presented in the Lok Sabha on July 3, Economic Survey on July 2 and Railway Budget on July 1.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister P K Bansal has said the session is expected to begin by the end of June or early July and passing of the Budget would constitute the main agenda.

The Government hopes to pass the budget before July 31 to avoid the need for a fresh vote-on-account, official sources said.

Presentation of the Economic Survey, the Railway Budget and the Union Budget followed by a discussion on the demands for grants of select ministries, a discussion on the General Budget and adoption of the Appropriation Bill would take up most of the time.