The Legislative Assembly for the first time held its proceedings outside the chamber to pass the Finance Bill after a legislator tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday.
Though the House was scheduled to assemble at 10 a.m. to initiate a discussion on the Budget, Speaker V.P. Sivakolundhu delayed the proceedings for a few hours after the Health Department decided to close the legislative chamber as All India N.R.Congress member N.S.J. Jayabal tested positive.
The Speaker informed Lt. Governor Kiran Bedi through Chief Secretary Ashwani Kumar the circumstances for conducting the proceedings in an open place on the premises of the Assembly and adjourn the House sine die on Saturday itself.
After getting the necessary approval, the Speaker convened the session around 1 p.m. under a neem tree in front of the portico of the House.
Once the proceedings commenced, the Speaker decided to skip the general discussion on the Budget and invited Ministers to move demands for grants for their Departments.
The House passed the Appropriation Bill, envisaging spending of ₹9,000 crore during the financial year 2020-21 after the Speaker applied a guillotine (a procedure to fast-track financial Bills) on demands for grants.
AIADMK members staged a walkout after the Speaker allowed Congress MLA K. Lakshminarayanan to move a resolution demanding Statehood.
The Congress legislator wanted all political parties to boycott the next Assembly elections in case the Central government failed to accord Statehood.
The Speaker then adjourned the House sine die at 3.45 p.m.
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