Two-day winter session is not acceptable: Assembly Speaker Nana Patole

Expressing his views on the decision to curtail the winter session, Assembly Speaker Nana Patole has stated that the two-day Legislative Assembly session is not conducive to democracy. Patole also said that told the discussions are underway regarding the duration and implementation of the new rules amid pandemic.

His statement comes a day after the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) of the State Council and Assembly, on Thursday, December 4 decided to curtail the winter session of the Maharashtra legislature to just two days. The session that was scheduled to begin from December 7 has been postponed to December 14 and 15.

However, the decision was taken at a meeting of the Legislative Affairs Advisory Committee chaired by Ramraje Naik Nimbalkar, who is the Speaker of the Legislative Council and Nana Patole, the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly.

The legislature has also made mandatory for all the representatives to take a test for coronavirus as a precaution before the winter session. For this, a camp will be set up on December 12 and 13 in the Vidhan Bhavan premises.

The RT-PCR test will be conducted on MLAs coming from both the houses of the state, officials from the Legislative Assembly and the Ministers, journalists and police. Even the staff of the Vidhan Bhavan will take the test. Those tested positive, would not be allowed to be a part of the session.

According to reports, a total of seven booths would be set up at the check-up camps. In addition, tokens will be given to those who have been investigated to receive the report. Patients who report positive will be sent to the hospital for treatment.

Apart from that, those wanting to get tested in a government-approved private laboratory should note that their report should be negative, dated December 12 or 13 and will show have to show it before entering the Vidhan Bhavan premises.

Meanwhile, the BJP, who is in opposition, had also expressed its displeasure over the decision to hold the winter session in Mumbai and that too for only two days.

For the first time in the last 60 years, the Maharashtra legislature decided to hold its winter session in Mumbai instead of Nagpur due to the pandemic.

Earlier, in the wake of COVID-19 cases, the monsoon session of the state legislature was held on September 7 and 8 instead of June 22.