Bhubaneswar: The Press gallery for media persons and viewers gallery for general public in Odisha Assembly will be reopened during Budget session starting from Tuesday.
This was revealed by Assembly Speaker Bikram Keshari Arukha while speaking to media persons on Monday after the all-party meeting, convened for smooth conduct of the House business during the session. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Niranjan Pujari said the meeting was held on 14-point agenda and there was consensus on all the points.
The Speaker said the Press gallery and viewers gallery, which were closed due to COVID related restrictions for the last two years, will be reopened during the session. The people can witness the proceedings of the House as it was done before the pandemic, he added.
Both galleries were closed to facilitate the sitting arrangement of the MLAs with prescribed distance as per COVID protocols. The opposition parties and media had raised their opposition several times to closure of the Press gallery even after withdrawal of the restrictions.
Arukha said all the members can attend the House proceedings from their respective seats and those, who will not be able to come to Assembly due to illness, can attend the session on virtual mode.
Objecting to the provision of the virtual attendance by the members, the principal opposition party BJP boycotted the meeting. “During the pandemic, the MLAs were attending the Assembly session through video-conferencing. Since the pandemic is over and such practice is not followed in Parliament nor other state Assemblies, we requested the Speaker to ask all members to remain physically present in the House. As he rejected our proposal, we boycotted the meeting,” said Leader of Opposition Jayanarayan Mishra.
