2020 Winter Session: No Question Hour session in Odisha Legislative Assembly

Bhubaneswar: In the all-party meeting which was held Wednesday it was decided that there will be no Question Hour session in the 2020 Winter Session of the Odisha Legislative Assembly (OLA), informed Speaker Surjya Narayan Patro.

Notably, the Winter Session of the Odisha Legislative Assembly will commence from November 20 and will continue till December 3.

Briefing media persons, Speaker Patro said that the House will run for four-and-a-half hours every day in adherence to all COVID-19 protocols. The Interim Budget will be tabled on the first day of the session November 20.

In view of the situation owing to the COVID-19 outbreak, Speaker Patro has directed all the members and employees of the Assembly to follow the precautionary measures strictly during the Winter Session of Odisha Legislative Assembly.

The MLAs who tested COVID-19 positive and senior MLAs will have the option to virtually attend the Winter Session.

The decisions that have been taken in the meeting are:

1. On the first day of the fifth session, adjournment of the House for first half/day after obituary references for former Speaker late Sarat Kar, some ex-members police personnel.
2. There will be no Question Hour during the entire fifth Session.
3. There will be sitting Saturday/Sunday.
4. Sitting arrangements for Members in Assembly Hall, visitors’ gallery, DV Gallery and Speaker’s Gallery.
5. Time of each sitting day (11AM /10.30 AM to 1 PM & 3 PM to 5 PM.).
6. Members as well as Ministers will participate in the debate by standing/ sitting in their respective seats.
7. Similarly Ministers will give answers by standing/ sitting in their respective seats.
8. Participation of Members in House through video conference 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.
9. 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.
10. There will be discussion 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.
11. Circulation of Supplementary Budget documents/papers among the Members.
12. Issuance of entry passes to representatives of  Press (print & electronic media) to Assembly premises.
13. No Lobby passes to be issued to any press or TV representatives other than  Members.
14. All such papers etc. will be distributed by Daks to Members to their respective quarters.
15. Health and Family Welfare Department to supply Corona preventive kit to Members/ Media people/ Officers and Staff of OLA Secretariat who will enter the Assembly Hall.
16. Sanitisation of Assembly Hall and premises daily by Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC).

On the other hand, both BJP and Congress have strongly opposed the suspension of Question Hour session from the Winter Assembly Session.

BJP leader Pradipta Kumar Naik said that though there will be no question hour session in the Assembly, his party will raise issues like drinking water woes, inadequacy of doctors and teachers, deteriorating law and order, hike in power tariff and border tension.

Similarly, Congress will raise questions on paddy procurement irregularities, unemployment, COVID-19 kit procurement scam, rise in power tariff and drug smuggling, said senior MLA Narasingha Mishra.

PNN