Three-day Jharkhand Assembly monsoom session begins amid COVID surge

RANCHI: The brief three-day monsoon session of the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly began on Friday amid strict adherence to coronavirus guidelines.

After holidays on the next two days, the House will sit again on September 21 and 22.

The house assembled for a short time during which Finance Minister Rameshwar Oroan introduced first supplementary budget of over Rs 2584 crore for the fiscal 2020-21 for consideration of the house after which the members paid condolence to former President Pranab Mukherjee and others.

Besides Mukherkee, the members paid tributes by standing in silence for two minutes to former union minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, cricketer-turned Uttar Pradesh minister Chetan Chauhan, Indian classical music doyen Pandit Jasraj and senior journalist PV Ramanujam.

After making obituary reference, the house was adjourned till Monday.

Paying his condolence to Mukherjee, Chief Minister Hemant Soren said the veteran leader commanded respect among all the parties.

Except for 3-4 legislators who are under quarantine after testing positive for coronavirus, rest others attended the session on the opening day.

Jharkhand has a 82-member assembly, including one nominated member.

Presently two elected seats are vacant.

The monsoon session is being held in the backdrop of raging coronavirus pandemic in Jharkhand.

All the legislators, assembly secretariat officials and media persons were allowed inside the assembly premises only after mandatory COVID-19 test.

Sitting arrangements were made in a way that there was a gap of one seat between two MLAs.

Chief minister, ministers, legislators and otheres were wearing face masks in obedience to coronavirus protocols.

The house will take up discussion on the first supplementary budget on Monday.

The ruling JMM-Congress-RJD has a combined strength of 47 in the house.

The BJP''s number has gone up to 26 after former chief minister Babulal Marandi returned to the saffron party and was named its leader in the house.

It also has support of two AJSU MLAs.

The Speaker is, however, yet to recognise the merger of Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) legislative party with that of the BJP and also according Marandi the status of leader of the opposition.