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Kerala Finance Minister KN Balagopal on Tuesday expressed hope for fair allocations in the 2026 Union Budget, saying he is "expecting the rightful share from the Union Budget", and urged a rectification of past Finance Commission cuts that had severely affected the state.
Balagopal criticised arbitrary central decisions and called for honest support to all states amid the ongoing budget session. Speaking to ANI, Balagopal said, "We are expecting the rightful portion from the Union Budget. The Finance Commission award is also coming now, so the new Finance Commission has been submitted but not presented in the Parliament. We are also expecting some rectification from the earlier budget because in the last finance commission, there was a drastic cut. It seriously affected the state. Arbitrary decisions cannot be made by any government, especially the central government. They should do the right and honest effort to support every state." Balagopal's remarks come after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh chaired an all-party meeting today ahead of the Budget session, which will begin on January 28 and run until April 2. Earlier today, senior leaders, including Rajnath Singh, Kiren Rijiju, Union Minister JP Nadda, Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh and Pramod Tiwari, AITC leader Shatabdi Roy, MNM founder Kamal Haasan, Tamil Maanila Congress leader GK Vasan, and SP leader Ramgopal Yadav and many other senior leaders attended the meeting. The meeting, held in the main Committee Room of Parliament, outlined the agenda for the upcoming Budget session. The Budget Session will commence on January 28 and continue till April 2, with one break. The first phase is scheduled from January 28 to February 13, while the second phase will run from March 9 to April 2. The Budget Session will feature 30 sittings, with the Union Budget 2026-27 being presented on February 1. President Droupadi Murmu will formally open the session, addressing members of both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. In the last two sessions, including the monsoon and winter sessions in 2025, the Opposition parties have sought to discuss the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls, which is underway across the country. (ANI)
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