Odisha Assembly: Opposition Leader Attends Monsoon Session From Hospital Bed Through Video-Conference

Bhubaneswar: With Assembly Speaker Surjya Narayan Patro directing strict enforcement of COVID guidelines for the MLAs and Assembly staff to attend House proceedings, the Leader of Opposition (LoP) Pradipta Naik attended the monsoon session through video conferencing.

Ahead of the session, the Speaker had made it mandatory for all MLAs and Assembly staff to undergo RT-PCR test so that those testing negative can come to the House. A camp has been set up on the Assembly premises for this purpose. On Sunday, two samples collected for the test were found infected.

Abiding by the Speaker’s direction, BJP legislator Naik, who has been undergoing treatment for post-COVID complications, joined the session through video conferencing from AIIMS, Bhubaneswar, guesthouse.

At the beginning of the day’s session, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik moved a condolence motion in the House through video conference as a mark of tribute to former minister Bijayshree Routray and other senior leaders.

Naik extended support to the motion from the hospital.

“I haven’t recovered fully but my priority will always be to sincerely carry out the responsibilities people have bestowed upon me; I will attend the Assembly session virtually from the hospital and draw the attention of the Odisha government towards all issues of the public,” he later tweeted.