The Free Press Journal

BUDGET SESSION COULD RUN FOR 4 WEEKS: DEPT

. The proceeding­s on the assembly and council can take place for four days followed by a three-day recess . During this period, those who are infected with the virus can be detected and sent under medical observatio­n

- SANJAY JOG

Even though the Business Advisory Committees of the state assembly and council have decided the proceeding­s for March 1 to March 8 amidst the rising COVID-19 cases, the Health Department has suggested an option to increase the duration, perhaps, up to four weeks. Already, the state legislatur­e secretaria­t has declared that the testing is mandatory for ministers, legislator­s, staff and journalist­s ahead of the budget session beginning March 1.

According to the Health Department, the proceeding­s on the assembly and council can take place for four days followed by a three-day recess. During this period, those who are infected with the virus can be detected and sent under medical observatio­n.

Officer from the state legislatur­e secretaria­t confirmed that the Health Department has mooted this option. “However, there was no formal discussion at the BACs held on Thursday. It may come up at the next meeting slated for February 25,” he said. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who holds the finance and planning department, will present the second budget of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government on March 8.

The state legislatur­e sec

The Health Department has mooted this option. However, there was no formal discussion at the BACs held on Thursday. It may come up at the next meeting slated for February 25.

- OFFICER, STATE LEGISLATUR­E SECRETARIA­T

retariat has worked out the sitting arrangemen­t whereby only one member will sit on one seat. Considerin­g the 288 members of the assembly, some members will be accommodat­ed in the officers’ and visitors’ galleries in order to avoid crowding. Only one personal assistant of a legislator will be allowed. The entry of visitors will be banned.

In a related developmen­t, the Maharashtr­a Legislativ­e Council chairman Ramraje Nimbalkar has sent a letter to the state government, asking it to get all the legislator­s vaccinated. This will help the legislator­s to attend the budget session. As per the Government of India’s prescribed norms, frontline workers are being administer­ed vaccines currently.

The opposition has pressed for a duration of four weeks for the budget session. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has said that if there will be any attempt to curtail the duration, it will clearly prove that the Maha Vikas Aghadi government wants to run away without facing the discussion on a number of current issues.

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