Budget session starts Monday.
New Delhi:
Rajya Sabha President M Venkaiah Naidu and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Sunday discussed preparations for the Parliamentary Budget session amid an increase in coronavirus cases.
The session began on Monday with a speech by President Ram Nath Kovind to members of both Houses.
During the meeting, Om Birla suggested that members of both Institutes could sit in different locations by name to avoid confusion, crowding and questions. Parliamentary sources said Mr Naidu had accepted the offer.
Due to Covid standards, the two Houses will meet at different times. Members of the two Institutes will be accommodated in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha rooms as well as galleries to avoid crowds.
In order to make the seating arrangement by name, the parties were approached to compile a list of the members to be placed in different locations. Seats are allocated in the rooms and galleries of both Institutes based on the strength of the parties.
With the reduction of sitting time for both Houses to one hour per person sitting due to time instability, Naidu and Birla have reserved available time for different business categories.
They emphasized the need for cooperation from all departments of both Institutes to make efficient use of the time available.
While the Rajya Sabha will be meeting from 10am to 3pm, the Lok Sabha will sit from 4pm to 9pm.
Officials informed the two presiding officers that the Capitol complex had been cleaned and all possible measures were being taken to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. They were informed that all MPs were required to take the 48 RT-PCR test prior to the start of the Session.
Part one of the course will end on February 11. The second part will begin on March 14 and end on April 8.
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