Telangana Assembly set to begin on Monday, all legislators undergo COVID-19 test

The monsoon session of the Telangana legislature will begin on Monday with several arrangements being made at the Assembly in view of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is the first legislative session since the outbreak of COVID-19 and the Opposition is expected to corner the ruling Telangana Rastra Samiti (TRS) over its ‘failure’ to contain the spread of the disease. 

All members of both the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council have been made to undergo a COVID-19 test and only those with negative results will be allowed to attend the session. Presiding officers of both the Houses have already announced the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), under which all legislators, employees, security staff and journalists covering the session have to undergo the tests.

Finance Minister T Harish Rao on Friday tested positive and is under home isolation. Assembly Speaker P Srinivas Reddy and Council Chairman G Sukhender Reddy have also asked those showing symptoms not to attend the session.

Wearing of masks will be mandatory for all legislators. The personal staff of legislators will not be allowed to enter the legislature complex while one or two assistants of ministers will be permitted.

Officials said that visitors will not be allowed during the session, which is likely to continue for 20 days. The 'media point' in the Assembly premises, where leaders of various parties used to address media persons, has been removed to ensure physical distancing.

Seating arrangements in the Assembly and the Council have also been changed to ensure that physical distancing is maintained between members.

The main opposition Congress will be looking to corner the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government on what it calls, the ‘failure’ to check the spread of COVID-19 in the state.

Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has already said that the government is ready to discuss and debate all the issues. He directed the ministers to be prepared to place all the facts, so that they would be known to the people.

In a meeting held last week between the CM, his cabinet and TRS legislators, discussions were held on the containment of coronavirus and treatment of patients. Crop loss due to heavy rains, the fire accident in the Srisailam Hydel Project, the achievements made in the power sector, the new Revenue Act, the illegal construction of the project by Andhra Pradesh government under Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Scheme, and irrigation sector issues were also discussed. The ruling party is expecting a barrage of questions over these issues from the Opposition.

KCR asked the ministers to be equipped with all the information on the issues that would come up for discussion during the session. The CM said that the legislature would also discuss injustices being meted out by the Centre to the state in Goods and Services Tax (GST) implementation, financial and economic losses due to the policies of the Centre and the lukewarm response of the Centre to the resolutions made by the state on reservations.

"The legislative session should be held upholding democratic values. There is no other platform other than the legislature to discuss matters on people's issues and take appropriate decisions. We have to utilise this platform and opportunity. The Telangana legislature should be held as an ideal one for others in the country to look up for inspiration. The members should analyse how the programmes and Acts implemented by the government are performing at the field level. The members should be able to point out if there were some lacunae somewhere,” he said.

“The government will answer each and every query raised by the members. The ruling party members also should mention each and every issue of the people," he added.

The legislature will also pass a resolution demanding that the Centre confer the country's highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna, on former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao. The state government also decided to install a portrait of Narasimha Rao in the Assembly and it will request the Centre install his portrait in the Parliament.

Through another resolution to be passed in the legislature, the Centre will be urged to rename the Central University of Hyderabad as PV Narasimha Rao Central University.