COVID -ve proof must to attend Assembly: Speaker

Assembly  Speaker  M  Appavu  said  that  all those entering the Assembly hall, including  MLAs  and  Assembly  workers,  should   undertake   COVID-19   test   and   only  those  who  test  negative  would  be  allowed inside. Appavu  also  said  that  the  seating  arrangement   inside   the   Assembly   hall   would  be  made  as  per  social  distancing  norms mentioned by the government.

Speaking  about  the  business  of  the  House,  the  Speaker  said  that  equal  opportunity  will  be  given  to  representatives of all parties irrespective of ruling and Opposition. When   asked   whether   the   Question   Hour  would  be  part  of  the  session,  the  Speaker  was  not  sure  and  replied  that  since it was lockdown most MLAs would send questions only after the Governor’s address and there would be delay in getting the replies.

Free bus travel for ‘diff-abled’, escorts In  an  order  the  state  allowed  persons  with   disabilities   and   their   escorts   to   avail  free  travel  in  the  ordinary  (white-board)  town  buses  operated  by  the  government.  Following  the  free  travel  for  women  and  trans persons,  the  Differently Abled Welfare Department has issued an order to cover free bus travel for persons  with  disabilities  and  their  escorts  in the ordinary buses.COVID orphan relief: 6-member  panel formed Meanwhile, the government constituted a six-member steering committee to implement  the  relief  programs  for  COVID  orphaned  children  in  the  state.

Additional  secretary  of  the  state  finance  department   would   head   the   committee   which  would  prescribe  ways  to  implement  the  relief  schemes,  mainly  creation  of  a  fixed  deposit  of  Rs  5  lakh  for  children  who  lost  both  their  parents  to  COVID-19. Secretaries  of  social  welfare  and  differently    abled    welfare    departments,    commissioner  of  social  welfare  department  and  two  representatives  of  NGOs  engaged  in  child  welfare  have  been  appointed as its members. The   committee   was   understood   to   have met in the presence of state Social Welfare  Minister  Geetha  Jeevan.  The  government had constituted district level   task   forces   to   identify   COVID   orphaned children who would get the Rs 5 lakh fixed deposit with interest on completion of 18 years of age.