Parliament to function minus weekend breaks
NEW DELHI: There will be no weekend break, no Question Hour and possibly no private members bill in the Monsoon Session of Parliament to fit a tight schedule of legislative business and debate some key Opposition-sponsored issues.
An internal note of the Lok Sabha, reviewed by HT, shows that the House will function every day, between September 14 and October 1, in daily shifts of four hours as it makes changes to work against the backdrop of the coronavirus disease.
While Parliament has earlier seen special sessions on Saturday, according to officials, this will be the first time that a routine session will see Parliament working on Sundays . Even with that, this Monsoon Session will last only 18 days. Typically, the Monsoon Session lasts for around 20-24 days spread across two months starting in July.
On the inaugural day of the session, the Lok Sabha will start at 9am and continue till 1pm. After a gap of two hours, the Rajya Sabha will start at 3pm and continue till 7pm. But for the remaining part of the session, the Rajya Sabha will meet in the morning shift and the Lok Sabha in the afternoon. HT first reported on July 22 that daily shifts have been planned to ensure that MPs spend minimum time in Delhi for the session amid a rise in the number of Covid-19 cases.
The session, first amid a global pandemic of such magnitude, will see a logistical overhaul and an unprecedented seating arrangement where MPs of a House will spill over to the chamber and galleries of the other House as well. Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation in the air-conditioning system to inactivate microorganisms, 10 display screens for live proceedings, special communication cables linking both Houses, and designated seats only for top leaders are all part of this process.
The Lok Sabha is also planning doorstep Covid-19 tests for MPs, offering the option to lawmakers to undergo real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test at their homebase (even if it is outside Delhi), and to allow them to deliver speeches wile seated.
Usually a session also sees large footfall in Parliament complex but this time, visitors will not be allowed, and staff and media presence will be reduced to ensure there is no large congregation.
While the government needs to clear 11 ordinances—including key ones on agriculture and banking—the Opposition wants to raise the India-China border issue, the economic situation, and the alleged mismanagement of the Covid pandemic by the government.
Both Rajya Sabha chairman Venkaiah Naidu and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla have held a series of preparatory meetings for the session with officials, health experts and various government ministries.
The secretariat has also asked ministers and MPs to display their radio-frequency tags and identity cards for hasslefree entry into the House as most of them are expected to wear masks.
“In view of the prevailing instructions of wearing of face mask to contain the spread of COVID-19 pandemic, a difficulty in proper identification of Hon’ble Members is experienced at the entry points of Parliament House. Therefore, to facilitate hassle-free entry, all the Hon’ble Ministers/ Members are requested to carry and display their RF Tags/ Identity Cards while wearing face masks which would help in identification on gaining entry into Parliament House Complex. Kind cooperation of Hon’ble Members is solicited,” said a House bulletin.