Kerala Assembly adjourns, opposition attacks govt

The Kerala Assembly was on Friday adjourned sine die on Friday in view of a surge in the number of cases tested positive for coronavirus. Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala attacked the government saying there was no need to cut short the session even as the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha sessions were going on.

Thiruvananthapuram: In the backdrop of the coronavirus scare, the Kerala Assembly on Friday adjourned sine die. The decision in this regard was taken at the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting of the assembly.

Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala attacked the government saying there was no need to cut short the session even as the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha sessions were going on.

He described the government decision as "autocratic" and said it was a black chapter in the history of parliamentary democracy.

On Friday, M K Muneer (IUML) moved notice for an adjournment motion seeking a discussion on the coronavirus, which has spread to various parts of the state with 16 people testing positive so far. The Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan accepted the opposition plea for discussion.

Muneer alleged the laxity on the government's part had resulted in more positive cases surfacing in the state after the first three cases were successfully treated.

He said while the central government had issued a consolidated travel advisory on February 26 stating that those coming from COVID19-infected nations including Italy and South Korea should be quarantined for 14 days, the Health Minister K K Shailaja had told the house that the circular was issued only on March 1, thus misguiding the house.

The three-member family, who tested positive for the virus, had reached Kochi on February 29 and according to government had not reported to the health and airport authorities that they had returned from Italy, he said.

The family did shopping and the government was unaware of it.

The opposition's duty is to point the government's lapses, and not to sing praise to the government, Chennithala said.

The Health Minister said this was not the time to find fault with the government.

"Please do not go on a fault-finding mission, she said addressing the opposition benches with folded hands. We need to stand together at this juncture", she added.

At the panchayat level, Asha and 'kudumbashree' workers have been asked to track if any people in their respective areas have come from abroad.

Surveillance at Tamil Nadu and Karnataka borders have been strengthened, she said and sought the cooperation of everyone, including the opposition.

Raju Abraham, Ranni Mla, said there was a big lapse on the part of the three-member family who did not report that they had come from Italy.

He also wanted the opposition to withdraw its media mania jibe against the health minister.

The Assembly had on Thursday adopted a unanimous resolution urging the Centre to withdraw the circular barring the return of Indian from coronavirus affected countries unless they provide a certificate that proves that they have tested negative for the infection. (PTI report)