Kerala assembly session begins on Friday, budget to be presented on Jan 15

Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan will address the assembly session which begins on Friday and the state's budget will be presented on January 15.

Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan said on Thursday that there will be obituary reference on January 11 for leaders who recently passed away and discussion on Governor's speech will be held between January 12 and 14.

"On January 15, the Finance Minister will present the budget. The assembly session will conclude January 28 as per the calendar," he said.

Asked about the dollar smuggling case in which the Customs Department issued a third notice to his assistant private secretary K Ayyappan, Sreeramakrishnan said prior sanction from Speaker is needed for any legal action in premises of Assembly.

"As per rules and procedures of the Legislative Assembly which is derived from the Constitution, it is clearly clarifying one thing. If you need to take any legal action in premises of assembly you have to get prior sanction from the Speaker," he said.

Earlier in the day, Customs Department issued a third notice to K Ayyappan asking him to appear before its Kochi office tomorrow before 10 am in connection with dollar smuggling case.

The notice was sent to K Ayyappan after he failed to appear before the Customs Department on Wednesday.

Ayyappan informed the department through the mail that he cannot appear before it as Kerala Assembly session begins from Friday

( With inputs from ANI )