Raipur: Chhattisgarh assembly session, which will be held between August 25 and 28 amid all precautionary measures such as the installation of glass panels to separate the seats of lawmakers in a bid to contain the spread of the raging coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak, is likely to cost an additional Rs 20 lakh expenses for the Bhupesh Baghel-led government’s exchequer.
The last assembly session was adjourned after nationwide lockdown restrictions were enforced from March 25 to contain the spread of the contagion.
“A glass panel will separate two legislators amid strict compliance of social distancing norms and other precautionary norms such as periodic sanitisation drive. Additional seats have been organised for 11 lawmakers via the glass partition,” said CS Gangrade, principal secretary, Chhattisgarh Assembly.
An assembly official, requesting anonymity, pointed out that the state government would have to incur an additional expenditure of around Rs 20 lakh for the special arrangement during the upcoming assembly session. “However, the exact amount is yet to be ascertained,” he added.
“Plans are also afoot to reduce the assembly staff, as only those essential to conduct the assembly proceedings will be asked to report for work. Hectic parleys are in progress to work out the modalities,” said Gangrade.
“Each MLA (a member of the Chhattisgarh legislative assembly) will be given sanitisers. The personnel will ensure that no lawmaker skips the sanitising drive,” he said.
“A legislator will be allowed to enter the assembly premises only with a driver in a bid to rein in overcrowding,” he added.
The press and visitors’ gallery will remain closed during the upcoming assembly proceedings.
“A section of media persons, who are from news agencies, may be allowed to attend. However, a final call on this is yet to be taken,” Gangrade said.
However, the Chhattisgarh unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) – the main opposition in the state — has alleged that the ruling Congress government is deliberately planning to bar the media persons from attending the upcoming assembly session in a bid to ensure that it doesn’t face any uncomfortable question on the floor of the House, including the Covid-19 management.
“The arrangements that are in the works for the lawmakers can also be made for media persons. The government is scared of facing the media. A minister is ensuring that the media is barred from attending the assembly proceedings,” alleged Ajay Chandrakar, a former minister and a state BJP leader.
Source: HindustanTimes