As the Monsoon Session of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly is about to begin in just two days, 20 Assembly staff members, including security personnel, have tested positive for COVID-19.

Speaker Hriday Narain Dikshit confirmed that about 300 Assembly and other government staffers had been tested and 20 were found Coronavirus positive.

The number of infected persons could go up further when the reports of other staffers is going to come.

“Those who have tested positive include an officer of the under-secretary rank. We are waiting for the final test reports as about 300 staffers, who will be deployed to perform various works/assignments during the Monsoon Session, have been tested,” said Assembly Secretariat official.

The Speaker has asked all Legislators to get themselves tested for the virus before they attend the Assembly session.

The Speaker said, “We are informing all members about the places in the Vidhayak Nivas or a point close to them that will have facility for testing from Wednesday. Testing facility will also be available in the Vidhan Bhawan complex.”

“We will arrange the facility for Covid-19 tests for all members,” replied the Speaker when asked whether the test will be mandatory for members?

Although senior officers of the Assembly Secretariat refused to comment on the issue, a large number of positive cases have raised serious concerns about the health of those to be deployed for work during the brief Monsoon Session.

A suggestion by Shatrudh Prakash, Samajwadi Party MLC, who has written to the Vidhan Parishad Chairman saying that all senior citizens in the House should be allowed to participate in the session virtually, has been turned down.

Meanwhile, on August 20, the Assembly will be adjourned after mourning the deaths of its sitting members, cabinet ministers Kamal Rani Varun and Chetan Chauhan — who died after being admitted to hospitals for treatment of COVID-19.

In  the remaining two days, the state government proposes to carry out Legislative Business like tabling ordinances that have been promulgated after the last session and the bills to replace them.

The UP Assembly’s current strength is 396, as seven seats are vacant. While its sanctioned strength is of 403 members. When constituted in 2017, the Assembly had nearly half of its members in less than 50-year age group.

Ten ministers and ruling party’s members, leader of opposition Ram Govind Chaudhary and other Samajwadi Party members have undergone treatment for C-19.

The Assembly and Council Secretariats are taking all safety precautions. In both the Houses the ‘yes’ and ‘no’ lobbies, along with viewers’ galleries, will be used to ensure a vacant seat between two members to follow social distancing during the session.

The Assembly has decided to install ultraviolet filters in the air-conditioning system. Automatic sanitiser dispensers have been installed at the entry gates.

All the members have been asked to wear a mask to attend the House, and a mask will be gifted to those who will reach the House without wearing one.

The security personnel have been given infrared thermometers to scan all members.

In Uttar Pradesh there are 1.54 lakh total positive cases of Coronavirus. While, 50,893 are active cases, 1,04,808 people have recovered so far. Meanwhile, 2,515 people have died due to Coronavirus in the state.