Coronavirus outbreak: Jharkhand assembly adjourned, CM takes stock of prep

RANCHI: Jharkhand Assembly on Monday adjourned the ongoing budget session in view of the coronavirus pandemic. The budget session was adjourned a day after Jharkhand government initiated a lockdown of the state till March 31 to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
At the start of the day's business at 11am, speaker Rabindra Nath Mahto informed the House that in view of the Covid-19 threat, he has convened a meeting of the business advisory committee to discuss the future of the House proceedings.The proceedings were adjourned till 2pm.
The committee, comprising representatives of all parties, met at Mahto's office where decision to adjourn the House was taken. The state budget, tabled on March 3, was passed through guillotine before Mahto adjourned the House.
BJP legislators arrived in Jharkhand Assembly wearing N95 masks. Chief minister Hemant Soren also sported a mask and urged the state's people to comply with the lockdown orders.
In the evening, Soren held a meeting with the deputy commissioners of all the districts and took stock of preparations to combat a probable Covid-19 outbreak in the state. Asking the authorities to strictly enforce the lockdown, Soren directed that sadar hospitals at every district keep ready a 200-bed isolation ward.
Noting that people came out on the streets defying the lockdown, Soren asked officials to issue passes to personnel engaged in providing essential services. Asking authorities to keep a watch on social media platforms, Soren also directed that no gatherings be held at places of worship. "Identify the poor, daily wagers and destitute and arrange food for them," Soren told officials.