The Punjab Budget session began today with the inaugural address by Governor Gulab Chand Kataria. The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is set to highlight its welfare initiatives while the Opposition is prepared to attack the government over rising public debt (over Rs 4 lakh crore) and the law and order situation.The 11-day session will see the AAP government present its fifth and final Budget before the next Assembly elections. Finance Minister Harpal Cheema is expected to present the Budget proposals on International Women’s Day on Sunday.This will be the first time in the history of Vidhan Sabha that the Budget will be presented on a Sunday.The government is likely to announce a monthly honorarium of Rs 1,000 for women, a key promise made by the party during the Assembly elections. The move is aimed at consolidating support among women voters, who constitute nearly 48 per cent of the electorate in the state.Sources said the Budget was unlikely to introduce new taxes.Governor Kataria begins inaugural addressMarch 6, 2026 11:21 am’Jo Bole So Nihal,’ said Gulab Chand Kataria, Governor of Punjab, while giving the inaugural address of the Budget Session of the Punjab assembly.