BHUBANESWAR: The house will function for six hours during the budget session of the assembly. The afternoon session starting from 4 pm will continue till 7 pm instead of 6 pm earlier. The decision was taken at the all party meeting presided over by Speaker Bikram Keshari Arukha here on Wednesday, ahead of the budget session from July 2. “The house will now function for six hours with the afternoon session, starting 4 pm, extending till 7 pm instead of 6 pm,” he told mediapersons.
This session, which will continue till August 4, will have 24 working days and two days have been marked for private members’ business. Finance Minister Niranjan Pujari will present the full-fledged budget on the first day of the session.
The Speaker said the house will function with strict adherence to Covid protocol. The Opposition political parties had suggested that functioning of the house should be made normal without restrictions and journalists should be allowed to enter press gallery.
However, the Speaker turned down their request saying that much risk cannot be taken as Covid cases have again started to rise in the State. BJP and Congress leaders also demanded physical presence of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in the house during important discussions.
“We have demanded the entry of journalists into the House as per the procedure in the Parliament. But the government has not given any assurance in this regard,” said senior BJP leader Bishnu Charan Sethi and leader of the Congress Legislature Party Narasingha Mishra told mediapersons separately.