Telangana legislature session abruptly adjourned due to Covid fears

Hyderabad: The Telangana Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council were abruptly adjourned sine die on Wednesday after a few members and some legislature staff tested positive.

Speaker Pocharam Srinivas Reddy and Legislative Council chairman Gutha Sukhender Reddy announced the adjournment in their Houses respectively.

Explaining the reason to members of the Assembly, speaker Srinivas Reddy said, “As 1200 people including legislators, police, media and others are attending the monsoon session, there is an apprehension about the spread of the Covid virus. Even though we have taken all precautions and adopted all the norms prescribed by the authorities, the mood of the House at large was that there is a possibility of spread of the pandemic.”

The presiding officers said they consulted the floor leaders of all political parties before taking the decision.

Srinivas Reddy said that once Covid subsides the House would meet again to continue discussing the remaining issues.

Legislative affairs minister Vemula Prashanth Reddy told press reporters that the session was cut short in view of the apprehensions of members and staff and security personnel about the spread of the virus although it had earlier been decided in the Business Advisory Committee to hold the session till September 28.

Prashanth Reddy said that during the eight days of the session, both Houses passed the "historical" revenue and Ts-bPass bills. In the Assembly, they had
a short discussion on three issues including Covid, power and infrastructure facilities in urban local bodies in the state.