Bengal Assembly may cut short its session amid Covid-19 threat

Kolkata, 16 March (HS): As the threats of Corona virus has also gripped the West Bengal state Assembly, the proposed All Party meeting before the start of the scheduled budget session on 26 March, may decide to cut short it by several days as a preventive measure like elsewhere in the country.

According to sources at the West Bengal state Assembly  here today,following the paths of several  other Legislative bodies in several other states, Bengal Assembly Speaker Biman Banerjee may take a final decision in consultation with leaders of all political parties in the states on whether the coming budget session could drastically be cut short  in a few days in view of the threats.

In that case a number of important bills might not be taken up for discussions on the floor of the house, and be put to guillotine,as per the norm in special cases, for their smooth passage, the sources said and indicated that  most of the members of the House, belonging to all parties, had also expressed  similar views and expressed their fear and apprehension in this regard.

They wanted to stay away from the session as well as from the gathering of 294 MLAs and several hundred other staff and employees inside the Assembly House during the session every day, the sources said.

Though there is no official confirmation, Chief minister Mamata Banerjee has also spoke in favour of cutting short the duration of the West Bengal Assembly session from next week and instead hold a very brief session  for a couple of days only.