NEW DELHI: With the budget session barely three weeks away, the sharp spike in Covid-19 cases may cast a spell on the functioning of the two Houses of Parliament. Presiding officers of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on Monday asked respective secretary generals to prepare proposals for the manner the two Houses will function.
Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla deliberated on ways to deal with the challenges posed by the explosive rise in Covid-19 cases in the national capital, which has seen a large number of staff members of the two Houses affected by the virus, forcing the two secretariats to devise a restricted working schedule.
In the wake of over 400 staff members testing positive, while more are yet to be tested, the meetings of the parliamentary standing committees have been cancelled. With no approval for virtual meetings of the parliamentary panels, legislative proposals referred to such committees may now take additional time, possibly delaying parliamentary scrutiny and nods.
On Monday, Naidu and Birla directed the secretary generals of both Houses to examine in detail the prevailing scenario and suggest measures for the upcoming budget session. It was learnt that Naidu called up Birla and they took stock of the situation, asking for a review of the Covid protocols followed during the winter session.
It may be recalled that the two Houses of Parliament had functioned in normal settings from the second half of the budget session in 2021. The monsoon session in 2020 had seen staggered functioning of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, which had sittings in the first half and the second half of the day respectively.
The two Houses had worked out the protocols, which included MPs sitting in the visitors’ galleries, while barring ex-MPs and staff members.