BHUBANESWAR: Uncertainty prevails over the monsoon session of the State Assembly due to the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic in Odisha even as the authorities are mulling over different options for the sitting of the house. Speaker Surjya Narayan Patro said the next session of the assembly is likely to be held in September as per constitutional provisions and parliamentary practices. There should not be more than six months gap between two sessions of Assembly, Patro said and added that the last sitting of the house was on March 30.
The Speaker said that the next session will be held by adhering to all social distancing norms and maintaining a distance of 12 feet while sitting in the house. Legislators will have to sit in the press and visitors gallery, he said and added that the next session is likely to be held without mediapersons and visitors. Date of monsoon session of the Assembly is yet to be decided. Patro told mediapersons that he has discussed with Lok Sabha Speaker and Parliament secretaries in this regard over phone.
“If Parliament session commences during Covid-19, the distance between two members will be at least 12 feet as per the protocols. But, they are yet to make any preparation for the Parliament session,” he said. Patro ruled out the possibility of any sitting of the Assembly in July in view of the Covid- 19 situation in Odisha. He has already deferred the meetings of the committees and sub-committees of the Assembly.
The budget session of the Assembly was adjourned from March 13 till March 29 in view of the coronavirus outbreak. The house had to be convened for a day on March 30 to pass the annual budget for 2020-21 without discussion. The monsoon session in 2019 had started on September 4. Some states have already made their plans on Assembly session amid Covid-19 pandemic. While the next session of the Uttar Pradesh assembly will be held through video conference, Goa assembly has been curtailed to one day.
Meanwhile, all the Assembly Standing Committee members have tested Covid-19 negative, chairman of the committee Debi Mishra said. Nilagiri and Salepur MLAs who were present during a standing committee meeting on July 2 were later tested positive following which swab samples of all members were sent for test.