Published 23:07 IST, August 27th 2020
Day-long Punjab Assembly session tomorrow under COVID-19 shadow
The Punjab Assembly will meet on Friday for a truncated, one-day session with strict protocols in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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The Punjab Assembly will meet on Friday for a truncated, one-day session with strict protocols in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic.A total of 30 legislators, including four ministers, have tested positive for coronavirus, though a few of them have recovered.
Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Thursday appealed to all other legislators who had come in contact with COVID positive legislators to avoid attending the one-day Vidhan Sabha session on Friday.
Punjab Assembly Speaker Rana K P Singh said those MLAs who were primary contacts of their COVID positive colleagues could not attend the session.
“As per the health ministry guidelines, the primary contact (of COVID positive case) is supposed to remain quarantined,” said the Speaker.
Akali MLA Gurpartap Singh Wadala and AAP MLA Manjit Singh Bilaspur, both tested positive for COVID-19, were part of their parties' legislative party meeting respectively.
With this, the MLAs of the Akali Dal are unlikely to be allowed to attend the session.
SAD leader Sharanjit Singh Dhillon, however, told reporters that he had written to the Speaker to clarify whether they could enter the Assembly or not on Friday.
Except two AAP legislators Kultar Singh Sandhwan and Baljinder Kaur who did not attend the party's meeting, the rest of their legislators were also unlikely to be allowed to attend the session.
Out of 30 MLAs who tested positive, six are from SAD, three from AAP, one rebel AAP legislator and the rest are Congress legislators.
The Speaker has made the coronavirus negative test report mandatory for ministers, MLAs, officers and employees to attend the 12th session of the 15th Vidhan Sabha.
It is a constitutional requirement to hold a session within six months of the previous Assembly session.
In order to ensure social distancing in the House, one member per bench will be allowed to sit, an official of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha said.
“Against two members per bench earlier, this time only one member will occupy the bench in order to maintain social distancing norms,” the official said.
“Some additional benches have also been kept in the House to accommodate all the members,” the official said.
In the 117-member House, there are a total 105 benches.
However, with many MLAs getting infected, the requirement for additional benches may not arise. Visitors and journalists will not be allowed inside the Assembly, the official said.
Social distancing norms will also be followed for the bureaucrats concerned in the officers' gallery. A kit comprising face masks, gloves and hand sanitiser will be provided to each member of the House, the official said.
The Speaker has notified the Punjab Bhawan as an extended precinct of the House for media coverage of the session. Live streaming of the session would be provided in the hall of the Punjab Bhawan, though no camera or mobile phone will be allowed, the official said.
Legislators can hold press conferences in the open area of the Punjab Bhawan. A COVID-19 test has also been made mandatory for journalists who will cover the session.
Meanwhile, several bills and ordinances are likely to be presented during the one-day Vidhan Sabha session for enactment.
These are related to regulation of private clinical establishments, temporary release of some prisoners amid the pandemic, control of drugs dispensation by private de-addiction centres, industrial disputes and child labour.
The 'Sri Guru Teg Bahadur State University of Law Bill 2020' for the establishment of a law university in Tarn Taran to commemorate the 400th birth anniversary of Guru Teg Bahadur is also likely to be tabled in the House.
Meanwhile, the opposition has slammed the state government for the truncated session, accusing it of running away from discussing the important issues of the state.
(Image Credit: PTI)
21:33 IST, August 27th 2020