BHUBANESWAR: In what would be a historic moment for Odisha, the winter session of the state Assembly will commence on November 27 with the address of President of India Droupadi Murmu. This will be for the first time that the President of India will address the members of Odisha Legislative Assembly.

Sources said, the Rashtrapati Bhavan has confirmed the visit of President Murmu to the Assembly and her address to the members. Preparations for her visit have already started and special arrangements are being made in the Assembly. Security of the Assembly will also be upgraded further in view of the President’s visit.

The Assembly secretariat has started sprucing up the legislature building with decoration works to give it a fresh look and a couple of chambers are revamped for the staff of the President. The chamber allotted to Murmu as minister of Commerce and Transport in the first term of BJD-BJP coalition government from 2000 to 2004 is being specially renovated to reconnect her with the early days of her political career, the sources added.

The notification for the winter session of the Assembly was issued on Monday. The session will continue till December 31 and have 29 sitting days. The first supplementary budget for 2025-26 will be presented by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on November 28. Supplementary budgets of different departments will be discussed from December 4 to 6.

The Appropriation Bill for the first supplementary budget will be discussed and passed on December 8. Besides the supplementary budget, 16 days have been earmarked for official business. Four days have been reserved for private members’ business, the notification stated.

Murmu was elected to the Assembly for the first time in 2000 from Rajgangpur Assembly constituency.

She was the minister of state for Commerce and Transport from March 6, 2000 to August 6, 2002, and Fisheries and Animal Resources Development minister from August 6, 2002 to May 16, 2004. She was elected to the Assembly twice, in 2000 and 2004.