In accordance with the standards, the Chamber must be convened once every six months. (Photo file)
Lucknow:
UP Assembly Speaker Hriday Narayan Dikshit said on Sunday that a three-day session of the state legislature would begin on August 20, with MPs seated, leaving a vacant seat between them and occupying the visitors’ gallery to maintain social distancing amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
In accordance with the standards, the Chamber must be convened once every six months.
A few days ago, during a multi-party meeting, the speaker requested the support of all political parties to ensure compliance with the COVID-19 protocol during the next session.
“We must ensure that during the session, scheduled for soon due to constitutional obligations, the COVID-19 protocol is strictly observed,” he said.
Explaining the seating plan for the assembly, Dikshit said on Sunday that members would be seated leaving a vacant seat between them.
Some of them will be seated in the lobby and in the visitors’ gallery, he said.
“The MPs will be thermally scanned before entering the Chamber. I’m sure the MPs will come here with a mask. If they don’t come with a mask, we will give them one,” he said.
Mr. Dikshit said the air conditioner in the legislature building will operate according to the standards set by the central government.
“Governor Anandiben Patel called the 17th Vidhan Sabha session at 11 am on August 20. It will be the second session of the year,” UP Vidhan Sabha Principal Secretary Pradeep Dubey recently said.
At present, there are 306 BJP deputies in the UP Legislative Assembly, followed by 48 from the Samajwadi party. The BSP has 18 deputies, while Apna Dal (Sonelal), an ally of the BJP, has nine deputies.
The Congress has seven deputies in the House, while the Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj party has four deputies. There are three independent members of the House. Rashtriya Lok Dal and Nirbal Indian Shoshit Hamara Apna Dal each have a member of the UP Assembly.
In the UP Legislative Assembly, there are 403 elected members.
