8-day Monsoon Session in K’taka from Sept 21

Bengaluru, Aug 20 (IANS) The eight-day Monsoon Session of the Karnataka legislature would be held from September 21-30 at the Vidhana Soudha here, state parliamentary affairs minister J.C. Madhuswamy said on Thursday.

“The state cabinet has decided to hold the Monsoon Session of the state legislature in the city from September 21-30, as it got delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic,” Madhuswamy told reporters here.

The Monsoon Session of the state legislative assembly and council was to be held in July, but the surge in Covid cases across the state forced the state government to postpone it to September.

“As per rules, the session has to be held within six months of the last date of its previous session. As the budget session was held till March 23, the next session has to be convened by September 23,” said Madhuswamy.

In view of the Covid-induced guidelines to maintain social distancing in the 225-member state Assembly and 75-member council, the legislative secretariat will decide on the seating arrangements.

“Wearing mask, washing hands with sanitiser and keeping six feet distance between two members will be complied with,” said the minister.

Assembly Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri and legislative council Chairman K. Prathapachandra Shetty will work out the modalities in consultation with the secretariat officials to comply with the guidelines of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and the Union Health Ministry.

As the BJP government amended the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) Act and the Land Reforms Act through ordinances, they have to be passed through the legislature to ratify them to avoid them from getting lapsed.

–IANS

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