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Bihar assembly’s monsoon session to be held at convention centre to follow social distancing norms
The brief four-day monsoon session, the last session of the 16th Assembly, is scheduled from August 3.
For the first time, the full session of the Bihar Legislature will be held outside the assembly premises to conform to the norms of social distancing in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has badly affected Patna.
The brief four-day monsoon session, the last session of the 16th Assembly, is scheduled from August 3. Sources said that it could also be further truncated, but the decision would only be taken at the customary all-party meeting before the start of the session or the business advisory committee meeting comprising members from various political parties, which happens on the first day of the session itself.
Since Governor Phagu Chouhan has already summoned the Legislative Assembly on the recommendation of the Cabinet, the Bihar government, acting on the request of the Bihar Legislative Assembly, has recommended that he should issue a modified letter.
Bihar assembly speaker Vijay Kumar Choudhary said the secretariat had written to the Bihar government that it would not be possible to hold the assembly session in the Central Hall, which does not have space to accommodate 243 members with the proper seating arrangement.
“The government was requested to look for some other place where social distancing norms could be properly followed, as that is a prerequisite in the prevailing situation due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The government has selected Gyan Bhawan at the Samrat Ashok International Convention Centre for it, as it has enough space and open entry and exit points,” said Choudhary.
The state-of-the-art Samrat Ashok International Convention Centre to the north of Gandhi Maidan was inaugurated in 2017 and is one of the iconic structures of the Nitish Kumar government.
Choudhary said that the session of the Bihar Legislative Assembly would be held in the conference hall on the second floor, which has a seating capacity of 800, while the session of the Bihar Legislative Council would be held in the meeting hall on the first floor.
Bihar is one of the five states which have bicameral legislature with two Houses.
Bihar Vidhan Sabha has 243 members, with no vacancy, at present. Earlier this month, there was a plan to hold the assembly session in the Central Hall, built on the lines of Parliament’s Central Hall. However, with the infection spreading to new areas and the number of positive cases crossing the 1000-mark consistently over the last fortnight, it was found inadequate.
“Despite trying various combinations, we could not ensure more than one-and-half feet distance between two members in the central hall. Ultimately, the Speaker said that the government should be asked to explore other options. For the Bihar Legislative Council, however, there is no space issue, as the 75-member House has 21 vacancies. But both Houses need to run close by. The ministers often have to shift from one House to another,” said a senior Vidhan Sabha official.
The Budget session of the Bihar Legislature had come to a premature end on March 16, 15 days before schedule, in view of the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic following a unanimous decision at the business advisory committee. It was scheduled to end on March 31.
