Budget session extended by a day, white paper on economy to be tabled in both houses on Feb 10

The session, which began on January 31, was otherwise slated to end on February 9.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi on February 6 said the ongoing Budget session of the Parliament, which was scheduled to conclude on February 9, has been extended by a day till February 10. According to a report by News18, the reason behind the session's extension is the government's plan to table on a "white paper" on the alleged economic mismanagement under the erstwhile Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government that existed before 2014.

"Parliament's session will be extended by a day till Saturday," Joshi said, while declining to elaborate on the agenda.

With the agenda items like the Finance Bill, budget discussion and demand for grants yet to be taken up by Parliament and the white paper also to be tabled, sources said it was considered necessary to extend the session's duration by a day.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the 'white paper' to highlight the country's poor economic condition when the Congress-led UPA left power, as often charged by the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and how the incumbent dispensation brought the turn around.

She will table it in both Houses — Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha.

In her interim budget speech, Sitharaman had said that the central government would table the 'white paper'.

Also Read | White paper on UPA's economic mismanagement to be tabled: FM

"The crisis of those years has been overcome, and the economy has been put firmly on a high sustainable growth path with all-round development," the finance minister had said in her speech on February 1.

"It is now appropriate to look at where we were then till 2014 and where we are now, only for the purpose of drawing lessons from the mismanagement of those years. The government will lay a 'white paper' on the table of the House," she had said.

Parliament usually does not function on weekends but there have been instances in the past when the Houses have met on Saturdays.

The 'white paper' will also present the ruling BJP a handle to attack the Congress as the country gears up for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, expected in April-May.

With PTI inputs