BHUBANESWAR: Speaker Surjya Narayan Patro has called an all party meeting on September 25 to discuss how to run the Monsoon session of the Assembly amidst the coronavirus pandemic when several ministers and nearly one third legislators have tested Covid-19 positive.
Following the Parliament, it has been decided that there will be no Question Hour during the session. However, a decision is yet to be taken about Zero Hour and whether adjournment motion notices brought by the Opposition political parties will be allowed for discussion.
The Speaker said the meeting will discuss the functioning of the House with strict adherence to Covid-19 guidelines. The session will commence on September 29 and conclude on October 7. The House will transact business on October 4, a Sunday. However, the Assembly will remain closed on October 2 on account of Gandhi Jayanti.
Leader of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) Narasingh Mishra alleged that there has been large-scale corruption in procurement of masks, PPEs and other materials required for Covid-19 management and development works have come to a standstill because of lockdowns and shutdowns during the last six months. The Opposition will raise these issues in the house and want to know at the all party meeting how these will be taken up for discussion.
“We will demand that the Government should not take any decision unilaterally without taking the Opposition into confidence so that the State can fight the Covid-19 pandemic unitedly,” he said.