LS may move to Central Hall in Covid-19 reshuffle

nNEWDELHI: To ensure the functioning of Parliament within constraints imposed by the coronavirus pandemic, Rajya Sabha (RS) chairperson Venkaiah Naidu and Lok Sabha (LS) Speaker Om Birla have asked officials to explore the possibility of shifting the Lok Sabha proceedings to the Central Hall of Parliament for the upcoming monsoon session that usually starts in July.

They have also asked if this can be accompanied with Rajya Sabha meetings being shifted to the Lok Sabha chamber, in a move that will be unprecedented in the history of Indian Parliament.

Keeping in mind that the battle against the Covid pandemic might be a prolonged one, the presiding officers of both houses met on Monday to discuss various possibilities related to the monsoon session, said an official familiar with the development. Naidu and Birla also asked the

two secretaries general of both Houses to look at the feasibility to hold the sitting of the two Houses on alternate days. In the longer term, they also explored the idea of having a virtual parliament with the use of technology.

A column in Hindustan Times, on May 22, had floated the proposal to shift the LS to the central hall, and the RS to the LS chambers.

All these measures, officials pointed out, are to ensure the government’s social distancing and health norms are adhered to while ensuring the normal functioning of the House.

Naidu and Birla “have directed the Secretaries-general to examine the feasibility of using the Central Hall of Parliament appropriately to ensure social