BHUBANESWAR: Speaker Surjya Narayan Patro on Monday announced that all ministers, MLAs and staff of the Assembly will have to undergo mandatory Covid-19 test two days before the start of the next session of the House likely to be convened before September 30.
The decision was taken at a high-level meeting presided over by the Speaker. He said that a special counter will be set up in the Assembly for RT-PCR test. Besides, antigen tests will be carried out for all senior officers set to attend the Assembly session. However, the date for the commencement of the session was yet to be decided, he said.
More than 20 legislators, including five ministers, have already tested corona positive so far. Minister of State for Tourism and Culture Jyoti Prakash Panigrahi is the latest to have tested Covid-19 positive.
Health and Family Welfare Minister Naba Kishore Das, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Bikram Keshari Arukha, Additional Chief Secretary in the Health and Family Welfare department Pradipta Mahapatra and senior officials of the Health department attended.