Overview
- Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania confirmed the second phase of the Budget Session will run March 18–April 2 with 13 sittings, taking the session total to 16.
- Key milestones include debate on the Governor’s Address from March 18–20 with the CM’s reply on March 20, Budget Estimates on March 21 at 11 am, general discussion March 23–25, voting on grants March 27–30 with the Appropriation Bill on March 30, Private Members’ Business on March 31, and government work on April 1–2.
- Members have submitted 834 questions, including 665 starred and 169 unstarred, focusing on welfare schemes, school board-to-CBSE transitions, roads and bridges, upgrades in education and health, vacancies, tourism, horticulture, drinking water, drug prevention, crime, solar energy, and transport.
- Pathania urged orderly conduct, cautioned against cross-voting, and convened the Privileges Committee, summoning the chief secretary to explain delays in privilege cases with around seven matters pending.
- Shimla police announced a multi-layered security plan for the session with 700 personnel deployed, while CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said education and health outlays would be protected despite fiscal pressures, citing loss of a ₹1,600 crore Revenue Deficit Grant and ongoing hiring in higher education.