BAC to decide today on holding Winter Session in Orange City
   Date :10-Nov-2020

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Staff Reporter :
 
Business Advisory Committee (BAC) of Maharashtra Legislature will meet in pandal near main entrance of Vidhan Bhavan in Mumbai on Tuesday, to take decision whether to hold Winter Session of State Legislature in Nagpur from December 7 as scheduled.
 
The meeting is supposed to be held to finalise business to be transacted during the Winter Session scheduled to be held in Nagpur next month. However, according to sources, the meeting will discuss and take decision on whether to hold the session in Nagpur at all. Ramraje Naik Nimbalkar, Chairman of Legislative Council; Nana Patole, Speaker of Legislative Assembly; Uddhav Thackeray, Chief Minister; Ajit Pawar, Deputy Chief Minister; Devendra Fadnavis, Leader of Opposition (Assembly); Pravin Darekar, Leader of Opposition (Council), and other leaders have been informed about the meeting on Tuesday. The meeting of BAC assumes significance as Rajendra Bhagwat, Secretary of Maharashtra Legislature, had indicated in a review meeting held in Nagpur on November 6 that BAC would decide on Winter Session.
 
At the same time, he had asked various agencies concerned to complete the preparations for the session at Nagpur, with necessary measures considering COVID-19 pandemic. Already, some leaders have expressed reservations about holding Winter Session in Nagpur. Vikas Thakre, Congress MLA from Nagpur, has been vocal about not holding the session in Nagpur. Instead, he has suggested, the fund to be spent on the session could be utilised for upgrading healthcare infrastructure in Vidarbha region. Nana Patole, Speaker of Legislative Assembly and senior Congress leader, wants the session to be held in Nagpur as scheduled. According to him, one session of State Legislature must be held in Vidarbha to honour Nagpur Pact.
 
Anil Ahirkar, Nagpur city chief of Nationalist Congress Party, also wants the session to take place in Nagpur so that issues concerning Vidarbha region could be raised. Krishna Khopde, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA, recently stated that though the State Government had circulated to legislators a programme for two-week session at Nagpur, the oral instructions were to prepare for only two-day session. Against the backdrop of these different elements, all eyes are on decision to be taken by BAC on Tuesday. Meanwhile, as per the scheduled programme, Maharashtra Legislature Secretariat will close at Mumbai on November 24 after office hours as it will shift to Nagpur for Winter Session. The secretariat will resume functioning at Nagpur on November 26 morning.
 
However, sections dealing with various Legislature Committees will continue to function at Vidhan Bhavan, Mumbai. In the review meeting held in Nagpur on November 6, instructions were issued that entry to Vidhan Bhavan premises in Nagpur during Winter Session would be given only after RTPCR test of entrants. The departments concerned were to start disinfection of Vidhan Bhavan, MLA Hostel, Suyog Building, and all other buildings in Nagpur, where stay arrangements are generally made for staff and political leaders and workers coming for the Winter Session. Sanitiser dispenser was asked to be placed outside each chamber in Vidhan Bhavan premises, during the session. Besides, Public Works Department was asked to plan to provide a kit containing mask, sanitiser daily to the legislators.