Like its Monsoon Session, the State Assembly’s Winter Session, scheduled to begin from November 20, would have no Question Hour, informed Speaker Surjya Narayan Patro after an all-party meeting held on Wednesday.
Patro told reporters that the House would run for four and a half hours every day in adherence to all Covid-19 protocols. The Interim Budget would be tabled on the first day of the session.
Sitting arrangements have been made keeping in view of the C#-19 guidelines; and senior MLAs would have the option to join the House through videoconference.The House would be sitting on Saturdays and Sundays. Participation of Members in House through videoconference at OCAC Bhubaneswar, Conference Halls of the Lok Seva Bhawan, residential office of Chief Minister, Minister’s/Leader of Opposition/ Members and office of respective Collectors, where Video Conference system have been installed.
No papers, reports etc. are to be distributed among Members in the House except urgent nature i.e. amendments to Bill, reply of Minister, etc.
There would be discussions on Demands for Grants on November 26, 27 and 28 and Appropriation Bill on the First Supplementary Statement of Expenditure for 2020 on November 29. However, Opposition BJP and Congress have strongly opposed the decision to suspend the Question Hour. Leader of Opposition Pradipta Kumar Naik (BJP) said a number of issues including drinking water woes, inadequacy of doctors and teachers, deteriorating law and order, hike in power tariff and border tension would be raised during the session.
Terming the decision not have Question Hour as undemocratic, Congress Legislature Party Leader Narasingha Mishra said the party would raise issues like paddy procurement irregularities, unemployment, Covid-19 kit procurement scam, power tariff hike and drug smuggling.