First budget session of new Naga Assembly commences

The budget session is the first session of the second Peoples Democratic Alliance PDA government of the NDPP and BJP, which returned to power after the February 27 election to the 60-member House.Governor La Ganesan will deliver his maiden address in the House on Tuesday and Chief Minister Rio, who also holds the finance portfolio will present the budget for 2023-24 on March 27, the Assembly secretariat said.

The nine-day budget session of the newly elected 14th Nagaland Assembly commenced on Monday with pro-tem speaker Mhathung Yanthan administering the oath to all its 59 members, including 29 first timers. The budget session is the first session of the second People's Democratic Alliance (PDA) government of the NDPP and BJP, which returned to power after the February 27 election to the 60-member House.

Governor La Ganesan will deliver his maiden address in the House on Tuesday and Chief Minister Rio, who also holds the finance portfolio will present the budget for 2023-24 on March 27, the Assembly secretariat said. The session will end on March 28 and has a four-day break on Wednesday and Friday to Sunday, it said.

The House was adjourned after obituary reference to former MLA Imtiwapang Aier who died on January 7.

Of the 29 freshers, Salhoutuonuo Kruse and Hekani Jakhalu Kense are the first ever women legislators of Nagaland since statehood in 1963. Speaking to PTI after the oath taking, Kruse, who has also been sworn in as the first women cabinet minister of Nagaland, said "I am very happy". Kruse has been allocated the women development and horticulture portfolio. "We are very happy and very excited to be able to make it to the Assembly. It is an honour and we will try our best to live up to the expectations of the people," said Kense, who has been appointed as an advisor to the industries and commerce department.

87-year-old NDPP MLA Noke Wangnao is the senior-most legislator and is the only member to have won the election for the 10th time. As per the Assembly records Wangnao has contested the Asembly polls 12 times since 1974 and lost only in 1993 and 2008.

Speaker Longkumer is the youngest legislator at 42 years. The strength of different political parties in the present House is NDPP – 25, BJP – 12, NCP – 7, NPP – 5, LJP (Ram Vilas), Naga People's Front (NPF) and RPI (Athawale) – 2 each, JD(U) – 1 and Independent – 4.

All the 23 non-PDA legislators have declared support to the pre-poll alliance of NDPP-BJP. However, the government is yet to be declared as opposition-less.

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