Staggered seating, bacteria-killing device: Parliament Monsoon Session to witness several firsts in view of COVID-19

New Delhi: Ahead of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, preparations are underway to accommodate House members while ensuring strict adherance to coronavirus COVID-19 protocol. With staggered sitting of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members and use of both chambers and galleries to ensure physical distancing, the Parliament will witness several such first-time measures.

Measures such as large display screens, consoles for participation from galleries, ultraviolet germicidal irradiation, special cables between the two Houses, polycarbonate separators will be implemented.

According to the Rajya Sabha Secretariat, members of the Upper House will be seated in both chambers and galleries during the session.

It is said that this is the first time since 1952 that such an arrangement will be in place, where 60 members will be seated in the chamber and 51 in the galleries of Rajya Sabha and the remaining 132 in the chamber of Lok Sabha. Similar seating arrangements are being worked out by the Lok Sabha Secretariat as well.

The preparations have been a part of Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu's directions to fully prepare for the oncoming Monsoon Session of Parliament on third week of August.

Naidu has directed officials to complete preparations for the session by the third week of August when testing, rehearsal and final inspection would be carried out. The Rajya Sabha Secretariat has been working overtime for the last two weeks to ensure full preparedness, officials said.

Work is in progress to ensure several additional installations like special cables to connect the two Houses for transmission of audio-visual signals and polycarbonate sheet separating the officers gallery from the chamber.

Both the RSTV and LSTV, will enable live telecast of the proceedings of the two Houses besides displaying the proceedings of each of the Houses on the screens in the other House, the secretariat said.

Senior officials of the Rajya Sabha Secretariat held detailed discussions with agencies concerned and firmed up special arrangements to be made and they are being worked upon.

Various parties will be allotted seats in the chamber and galleries of Rajya Sabha based on respective strength and the remaining will be seated in the chamber of Lok Sabha in two blocks meant for ruling parties and the others.

Inside the Rajya Sabha chamber, seats will be earmarked for the Prime Minister, Leader of the House, Leader of the Opposition and leaders of other parties.

Former Prime Ministers Manmohan Singh and H D Deve Gowda, besides Union ministers and Rajya Sabha members Ram Vilas Paswan and Ramdas Athawale, will also have earmarked seats in the chamber of the House. Other ministers will be seated in the seats meant for the ruling party members.

The last Budget Session of Parliament had to be curtailed in view of the COVID-19 pandemic and both Houses were adjourned sine die on March 23.

As per precedent, Parliament has to be convened before the end of six months from the last session. The Monsoon Session is likely to begin in the last week of August or early September.