The budget session of the 16th Assam Legislative Assembly commenced on Monday with a packed legislative agenda, including the presentation of the state's Budget for 2026-27 later this week and the introduction of several Bills aimed at boosting tourism, business reforms, urban development and land administration.
The House assembled at 9.30 am for the first day's proceedings, with the Budget scheduled to be presented by Finance Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah on July 10.
The government is expected to introduce a series of Bills that recently received Cabinet approval. These include the Assam Tourism (Amendment) Bill, 2026, the Assam Shops and Establishments (Amendment) Bill, 2026, the Assam Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Bill, 2026, the Assam Ease of Doing Business (Amendment) Bill, 2026, the Assam Public Trust Bill, 2026, the Guwahati Satellite Town Development Bill, 2026, and the Assam Land and Revenue Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2026.
The proposed legislations seek to strengthen the state's tourism sector, improve the business climate, promote entrepreneurship, facilitate planned urban expansion around Guwahati, streamline the administration of public trusts and amend land and revenue laws.
The session is also expected to witness debates on the state's financial roadmap and key policy issues before the Budget is presented.
Also read: Assam becomes first state to commercially produce Matcha tea
Hindi introduced as Assembly language
The opening day of the session also marked the introduction of Hindi as an official language for proceedings in the Assam Legislative Assembly, alongside Assamese, English and Bodo.
Announcing the decision, Assembly Speaker Ranjeet Kumar Dass said Hindi had been introduced to recognise it as the country's "Rashtra Bhasha" or national language.
"For the first time Hindi language has been introduced. Hindi is Rashtra Bhasha, and to recognise it, we have decided to introduce the Hindi language," Dass said.
However, the Constitution does not designate any language as India's national language. It recognises Hindi in the Devanagari script and English for official purposes under the Official Languages Act, 1963.
The new language policy came into effect from Monday, coinciding with the start of the Budget session.
Dass also announced that ALA TV, which broadcasts Assembly proceedings, will be renamed Assam Bidhan Sabha TV.
The decision to introduce Hindi has triggered fresh concerns in some quarters about the status of Bodo, one of Assam's official languages, with critics questioning whether the move could dilute the linguistic balance maintained in the Assembly.
The Budget session is expected to continue over the coming days with discussions on legislation, governance and the state's fiscal priorities.
Follow us
