NE NEWS SERVICE
GANDHINAGAR, MAR 23
At least seven MLAs have tested positive for coronavirus since the budget session of the Gujarat legislative Assembly began on March 1.
Two legislators from the Congress and one from the BJP tested positive for the infection on Tuesday, Speaker Rajendra Trivedi informed the House.
Although the infections are on the rise in the state, no decision has been taken to cut short the budget session, which is scheduled to end on April 1.
Earlier, BJP MLAs Shailesh Mehta, Mohan Dhodiya, Babubhai Patel and Ishwar Patel were found positive for coronavirus, while Congress MLAs Naushad Solanki and Punja Vansh and BJP MLA Vijay Patel tested positive on Tuesday.
As a precautionary measure, the Speaker announced a ban on entry to visitors in the Assembly premises.
“Apart from the MLAs, staff members and personal secretaries of several ministers also tested positive for the infection recently. I have already asked officials not to issue any visitor pass for the premises till the Assembly is in session,” Trivedi said.
Sergeants have also been directed not to permit any visitors inside the premises, he said.
“I urge ministers not to call anyone in the Assembly premises. You can meet them at your main offices, but not inside the Assembly complex. This also applies to MLAs,” the Speaker told the House.
He informed the MLAs that the House is sanitised daily using UV light radiation, and also urged them to get tested in case they were feeling uneasy.
