NO ASSEMBLY STAFFER TESTS COVID POSITIVE SO FAR

LUCKNOW : Ahead of the budget session of state legislature commencing here on February 18, none of the state assembly secretariat staff has so far tested positive for Covid-19.

“Yes, we have received reports of 173 staff members of assembly secretariat. None of them have tested positive for Covid-19. Around 450 staff members have been tested by RT-PCR method so far. We hope to get more test reports by Tuesday,” said a senior officer of assembly secretariat.

Governor Anandiben Patel will address joint sitting of the two houses of state legislature at the Vidhan Sabha Hall here at 11 am to mark the beginning of the budget session on Thursday.

Uttar Pradesh assembly began testing its staff for Covid-19 on Sunday. All the legislators have also been asked to get themselves tested. Besides making testing facilities for the legislators at the district level, the state government proposes to deploy testing teams at all the Vidhayak Nivas in the state capital. The testing facility set up at Vidhan Bhawan will also remain available for the members.

Meanwhile the state cabinet on Sunday approved the governor’s address by circulation. Another senior officer of the assembly secretariat said the governor’s address would be available both online and in print for the members.

On the other hand, the state government on Monday held another training session to help the legislators, who could not attend the three-day training programme that concluded at the Tilak Hall of Vidhan Bhawan on Sunday, in paperless operation of House proceedings and use of iPads.

“Yes, some more legislators attended training about paperless budget and proceedings on Sunday,” said an officer. The state government’s budget app ‘Uttar Pradesh Sarkar Ka Budget’, however, remained unavailable on iPads that the legislators have been asked to buy to pave way for presentation of state’s first paperless budget (2021-2022) on February 22. The state government will reimburse up to Rs 50,000 to the legislators on presentation of receipt for buying an iPad.