Thermal scanning, social distancing in Rajasthan Assembly session beginning Friday

The authorities at the Rajasthan Assembly, whose upcoming session starts from Friday (August 14), have made seating arrangements for 315 people in the 200-member House in a bid to comply with the social distancing norms amid the raging coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak, officials said.

At present, the assembly can house 270 people.

The assembly secretariat is installing extra seats in the aisles.

Each lawmaker will be allowed only two personal staff members because of the pandemic.

Gaurav Goyal, commissioner, Jaipur Development Authority (JDA), has been appointed as the nodal officer for the assembly session and entrusted with the responsibility to strictly enforce Covid-19 guidelines.

“He will be assisted by two health directorate staff,” the officials said.

“Thermal scanning facility will be installed at the assembly entrance. If an MLA (member of the Rajasthan legislative assembly) is found to be suffering from a fever, he will be taken to an isolation facility within the assembly for a health check-up,” they added.

The authorities at the directorate of information and public relations (DIPR) informed that restrictions would be enforced in the issuance of media passes owing to the viral outbreak and prevent overcrowding in the press gallery.

“Media organisations have been asked to specify names of their reporters, who will attend the session in shifts. A cap is being placed on the number of media persons in the press gallery,” said a DIPR official.

The secretariat is yet to decide on the seating arrangements of three former ministers such as sacked deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot and his supporters Vishvendra Singh and Ramesh Meena amid the stand-off with CM Ashok Gehlot over a bitter internal power struggle in the ruling Congress government.

“Though they used to occupy front seats as ministers in line with the protocol, they are likely to be allotted seats depending on their seniority,” assembly officials said.

Pilot is a first-time MLA, but Singh and Meena are three-time lawmakers.