BHUBANESWAR: The eight-day Monsoon session of the Odisha Assembly began on Tuesday with strict adherence to Covid-19 protocols with several members including Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik opting for the digital mode to participate in the proceedings.
The Chief Minister took part in the first day of the session through video conference from Naveen Nivas while several other members including those above 60 years of age attended through virtual platforms from the Loka Seva Bhawan and the district collectors’ offices in their respective constituencies.
Members who attended the proceedings from the Assembly hall wore face masks and face shields. Only those who have tested negative for Covid-19 joined the proceedings in the Assembly building, which was sanitised for the session.
Six BJD legislators, Usha Devi, Sabitri Agrawal, Prafulla Samal, Badri Narayan Patra, Sashi Bhusan Behera and Nityananda Sahu , participated in the proceedings from the Lok Seva Bhawan here. Three other ruling party MLAs including Works Minister Prafulla Mallik, Rajendra Dholkia and Mahidhar Rana, attended the session from the district collectors’ offices in their respective constituencies of Dhenkanal, Nuapada and Kantamal. Besides, BJP MLA from Chandbali and deputy leader of the Opposition Bishnu Charan Sethi also joined the session from Bhadrak.
A total of 19 MLAs tested positive for coronavirus during clinical examination on the Assembly premises in the last three days. So far, 51 legislators, including nine ministers, have contracted the virus in Odisha, officials said.
As the House assembled for the day, the Chief Minister moved the obituary references on the passing away of former President Pranab Mukherjee, two sitting MLAs Bishnu Charan Das and Madan Mohan Dutta, several former members including Arjun Charan Sethi and Sheikh Matlub Ali besides, health professionals and other frontline workers engaged in Covid-19 duty.
Speaker Surjya Narayan Patro adjourned the House till 3 pm as a mark of respect to the sitting members who died recently. Though there is a tradition to adjourn proceedings for a day in the event of sitting members’ demise, this time it was limited to half-a-day due to the pandemic, he said.