Nagaland Assembly's Pioneering Two-Phase Budget Session Unfolds

The Nagaland assembly's much-anticipated budget session commences on Thursday, focusing on essential financial matters over the course of two days. This marks the first instance of subdividing the session into two phases, with the earlier segment having taken place from March 2 to 12.

Among the critical proceedings on Thursday, discussions on pressing public issues and the presentation of the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) reports will take center stage, supplemented by a review of income and expenditure patterns. This will be followed by supplementary grant demands for 2025-26 and measures to regularize excess spending from 2018-19 and 2019-20. Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, bearing the additional finance portfolio, is set to introduce the state's budget for 2026-27 on the same day.

Friday's agenda includes a comprehensive debate on the new budget, voting on supplementary demands, and the expedient passage of appropriation bills. Additional sessions will involve discussions and grant votes for 2026-27. Speaker Sharingain Longkumer is expected to disclose the formation of committees and chairpersons before adjourning the session indefinitely. Importantly, this assembly marks the first meeting following the tripartite accord on the Frontier Nagaland Territory Authority, aiming to introduce related legislation during this legislative period.