Special day-long Delhi assembly session to be held on September 14

Since Covid-19 cases are once again on the rise in the Capital, the Delhi Assembly secretariat said a number of precautionary measures would be put in place during the one-day session.

A special day-long session of the Delhi legislative assembly will be held on September 14, the chief minister’s office said on Monday.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. (PTI)

Since Covid-19 cases are once again on the rise in the Capital, the Delhi Assembly secretariat said a number of precautionary measures would be put in place during the one-day session.

“First, all legislators and Vidhan Sabha employees will have to undergo Covid-19 tests, the results of which will have to come latest by Sunday -- a day before the session begins on September 14. A testing van will be deployed at the assembly premises to test employees. The MLAs will have to undergo tests either at the assembly or they may get tested at some hospital or health centre on their own and submit the report to the Vidhan Sabha secretariat,” said a senior Delhi Assembly official on condition of anonymity.

This will be the second session of the assembly to be convened during the Covid-19 pandemic. A one-day session was held on March 23 to present the budget. But no such precautionary measures were taken in that session, except for members of the House being seated at a distance from one another.

For the September 14 session, assembly officials said, the entry of media persons is likely to be restricted this time and they would be allowed only in the press room.

“Sitting in the press gallery during the session, as is the practice, is unlikely to happen this time, although a final decision on this is yet to be taken,” a second official said.

To maintain social distancing, additional chairs will be kept in the House. Usually, two MLAs sit in one seat inside the House. But the rule now will be one person per bench in order to maintain a six-feet distance, the official added.

Mask wearing, and thermal screening will be mandatory inside the assembly premises.

Senior officials in the chief minister’s office said it is likely that there will be no question hour this time mainly because it is a one-day session and only important issues and legislative matters will be taken up. The question hour session was removed from the recent Parliament session as well.

The decision to hold the one-day session was taken by the Delhi cabinet led by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on September 5 after the law department tabled the proposal for approval.

Delhi’s Covid-19 management strategies are expected to be discussed during the sitting. Some AAP legislators are expected to discuss the Delhi Model of management during the session, people aware of the matter said.