New Delhi: The monsoon session of Parliament will run from September 14 to October 1, 2020, and the proceedings of both Houses will take place without leave and on Saturdays and Sundays.
This will be the first Parliament session since the coronavirus lockdown declared in March.
According to an NDTV report, as per government sources, major restrictions will be imposed and various measures will be adopted to guard against the COVID-19 threat. Here are several firsts and special measures:
- Each House will sit for four hours per day with one session in the morning and another in the afternoon. This way, there will be a total of 18 sittings across the monsoon session.
- Also, Parliament will function on weekends (there will be no leave) to ensure that MPs do not return to their constituencies amid the pandemic and either get infected or bring the virus back with them.
- Among various measures, the use of chambers and galleries of both Houses for the sitting of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha will be an important aspect.
- There are also reportedly, proposals to install an ultraviolet irradiation system in the air-conditioning unit of the Rajya Sabha to kill germs and viruses.
- Four large (85 inches) display screens will be set up in the chambers and six smaller (40 inches) screens and audio consoles in the four galleries, as well as cables, to transmit real-time audio-visual signals and communication consoles to enable members to participate in debates and discussions.
- Different parties will be allotted seats either in the chamber or galleries of the Rajya Sabha, based on their strength. The rest will be seated in the Lok Sabha chamber in two blocks – one for the ruling party and the second for others.
- Seats will be reserved for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, union ministers, and leaders of the House and Opposition in the chamber of the Rajya Sabha. Former prime ministers, including Dr. Manmohan Singh and HD Deve Gowda, will also have seats reserved in the chamber.
- Seating in the Officials Gallery and Press Gallery will also be in conformity with social distancing norms, with each holding only 15 people. This translates into limited numbers of secretariat officials and reporters. No temporary or session pass holding-reporters will be allowed, and journalists and ex-MPs will not be allowed in the central hall when sessions are on.
