The Monsoon Session of Jharkhand Assembly started on Friday amid coronavirus pandemic guidelines. On the first day of three-day session, State Finance Minister Rameshwar Oraon tabled the first supplementary Budget of Rs 2,584 crore. The house will have a discussion on the supplementary Budget on Tuesday.
After tabling the supplementary Budget and paying tributes to eminent personalities from politics, films, sports, art & culture and social service the house was adjourned till Monday. The House remembered former President Pranab Mukherjee who passed away last month, Raghuvansh Prasad Singh former Union Minister and architect of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGA). The house also paid rich tributes to cine stars passing away in the past few months. The lawmakers in their condolence message also remembered corona warriors.
Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahto, as per Assembly protocol, allotted time to lawmakers for reading condolence messages.
Earlier, as the session commenced in morning, opposition BJP staged a protest against worsening law and order situation in the State. BJP legislator from Hazaribagh, Manish Jaiswal holding placards protested against Government move to stop several welfare schemes of Raghubar Das Government.
Jaiswal, shouting slogans against the government said the present government has no vision for development and stopping welfare schemes with ulterior motives. Several BJP legislators such as Bhanu Pratap Shahi and others supported Manish’s demand. The BJP MLAs also protested the Government move to bring Jharkhand Land Mutation Bill 2020. Former land and revenue minister Amar Kumar Bauri said the Land Mutation Bill is against tribals and Dalits. The land mutation bill is against the basic tenants of CNT/SPT Act, said Bauri. He also threatened that the Opposition will strongly protest the land mutation bill.
It may be noted that in the last Cabinet meeting the Government cleared the land mutation bill. Sources said that the bill once enacted will give more powers to revenue officials.
Sources said the next two day of the session is going to witness heated arguments between ruling and opposition parties, as the Government is going to table some important bills.
As the Monsoon Session is being held amidst coronavirus pandemic elaborate safety measures were employed.
Sitting arrangements for lawmakers were made keeping social distancing norms. Only those having their corona report negative were allowed to enter the Assembly and the rule was applicable for media persons and staff of Assembly too. Wearing of masks and use of sanitisers and gloves were made mandatory in the Assembly.
Meanwhile, the district administration team and staff from the health department was static at the Assembly to avoid any untoward
incidents.
