The budget session of the Telangana Assembly is likely to be a stormy affair with a determined Congress deciding to confront the government on various public issues.

The over three-week long session will begin with the Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan addressing the joint session of Telangana legislature at 11 am. The two Houses will meet again on March 8, even though it is a Sunday, to take up motion of thanks to the Governor’s address. Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao is expected to give his reply on March 10.

Finance Minister Etela Rajender will present the budget on March 11 and after a day’s gap, the two Houses would debate on the budget till March 20. The demands would be taken up from March 21 and will last till March 28. The session might be extended by two days till March 30 for passing the Appropriation Bill.

As the confident looking TRS government intends to utilise the session to showcase its initiatives and welfare measures announced recently, the Opposition parties, particularly the Congress, is in no mood to spare the government. The CLP meeting on Friday decided to raise as many as 28 issues during the session. The party wants to corner the government from day one as it is said to be keen on registering its protest against defections during Governor’s address.

The BJP floor leader K. Laxman said his party would be in the forefront of raising people’s issues and rejected the talk that it trying to make friendship with the TRS. The TDP on its part is determined not to leave any opportunity to target the government on several issues particularly the decision to sell government lands, shift Chest Hospital and construct new Secretariat. Delay in issuance of pensions, release of pending bills for Indiramma housing schemes and lack of clarity on several decisions announced by the government are likely to figure prominently during the session.