The monsoon session of the Jharkhand Assembly will commence on September 18.

“Though the session will last till September 22, there will be just three working days on September 18, 21 and 22,” said Vinay Kumar Singh, additional secretary at the Assembly secretariat. He said there will be no business on September 19 and 20.

The state government is likely to present the first supplementary budget for the current fiscal (2020-21) and the ordinances that were introduced when the House was not in session.

In view of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Assembly secretariat has issued guidelines and standard operating procedures (SOP) for the monsoon session.

All the MLAs have been requested get tested for Covid-19 three days before the session begins.

Those MLAs who test positive for Covid-19 would not attend the session personally but can authorise, with prior intimation to the Assembly secretariat, other members to do business such as raising questions, etc, on their behalf as per rules, the guidelines said.

The MLAs have also been requested not to take their personal staff members inside the Assembly premises.

All other state government officials, magistrates, police personnel and staff members of the Assembly secretariat, who are required to be present during the session, have also been asked to get themselves tested for Covid-19 three days before the session begins.

The mediapersons interested to cover the Assembly proceedings will also have to get themselves tested for Covid-19 three days prior to the session and can enter the premises only after showing their negative reports, the guidelines said.

The Assembly secretariat has also decided that no visitor will be allowed in the visitors’ gallery during the session.

Those entering the Assembly premises will be provided with sanitiser, face covers, shields, masks and hand gloves at the entrance.

All have to also maintain social distancing. As the new Assembly building has enough space, it will not be a problem to make necessary sitting arrangements for the MLAs, sources said.

Cabinet meeting

The state cabinet, in its meeting on Tuesday evening, sanctioned Rs 141.56 crore for providing 5kg food grains, free of cost every month, to each beneficiary under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) 2013 during the period from July to November 2020.

The state cabinet also decided to provide rice at a subsidised rate under the Jharkhand Rajya Khadya Suraksha Yojana to 15 lakh other beneficiaries who are not covered under the NFSA.