Chennai: The Union budget is likely to be presented in the Parliament on 1 February, with President Ram Nath Kovind addressing both the Houses on 29 January.

According to sources, the budget session will be conducted in two parts. The first phase of the session will begin on 29 January with President Kovind’s address and end on 15 February.

The second phase will run from 8 March to 8 April, sources said.

The decision was taken by the Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs or CCPA, which recommended presenting the Union Budget on 1 February.

Both the Houses would function for 4 hours each and the session would be held following all Covid-19 protocols.

The final decision on the commencement of the session will be taken by the Union Cabinet of Ministers.

The Centre had last month cancelled the winter session, because of the ongoing pandemic.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi had said in a letter to the Congress’s Lok Sabha leader that all political parties were in favour of scrapping the session to avoid any Covid spread, but the Congress had, however, said that it was not consulted for the same.

Seventeen members of the Lok Sabha and eight from the Upper House of Parliament had tested positive in last September.