Speaker Ram Niwas Goel, MLAs get tested for COVID-19 ahead of assembly session

Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel and other members of the legislative assembly on Friday took RT-PCR test for COVID-19 ahead of a one-day session of the assembly on September 14.

A legislative assembly bulletin had said earlier that all MLAs must show their COVID-19 test report for attending the session and it should not be more than 48 hours old. Several MLAs came to the assembly for RT-PCR test.

The MLAs said they expected their result to be negative and were keen to raise issues concerning their constituencies in the assembly.

Abhay Verma, BJP MLA from Laxmi Nagar, said he will raise the rising cases of COVID-19 in Delhi as also "removal of jhuggies".

Some changes have been made in the seating arrangement within the assembly hall to maintain social distancing in view of coronavirus pandemic.

Apart from distinct seats of Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition, seating arrangement for MLAs has been done in a way that there ....is a gap of one seat. Additional chairs have also been arranged.

Goel said that antigen tests were also conducted for the assembly staff members three persons were found to be COVID-19 positive.

This is the second time that a special session of the Delhi Legislative Assembly is being held during coronavirus pandemic. A one-day budget session of Delhi assembly was held on March 23.

( With inputs from ANI )