Parliament's Monsoon Session Likely to Be Held from September 14 to October 1 with Physical Distancing Norms

The Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs, chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, has recommended that the Monsoon Session of Parliament be held from September 14 to October 1 and with 18 sittings, sources told CNN-News18 on Tuesday.

The official announcement is expected to be made by Tuesday evening.

Aggressive preparation has been going on in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha for the session. Rehearsals will take place in Parliament on Monday, with an eye on physical and social distancing norms to accommodate members.

Several meetings of both Secretariats were held by Rajya Sabha Speaker M Venkaiah Naidu and his Lok Sabha counterpart OP Birla.

Naidu has directed to ensure additions like four-large display screens in the chamber of the House, six small screens and audio consoles in the four galleries, ultraviolet germicidal irradiation, special cables connecting the two Houses for transmission of audio-visual signals, polycarbonate sheet separating the official gallery from the chamber of the House.

Using the chambers and the galleries of both Houses to hold the session will be the first of its kind in the history of Indian Parliament since 1952.

The Rajya Sabha chamber and galleries and the Lok Sabha chamber will be used to seat members of the House. Sixty of them will be accommodated in the chamber and 51 in galleries of Rajya Sabha; the remaining 132 will be seated in the chamber of the Lok Sabha.

Political parties will be given seating instructions depending on their strength. Designated seats will be earmarked in the Upper House chamber for the Prime Minister, Leader of the House, Leader of the Opposition, and leaders of other parties. There will also be designated seats in the chamber for ministers.

Two former Prime Ministers — Manmohan Singh and HD Deve Gowda — who are also Rajya Sabha members will also have earmarked seats. Ministers who are not Rajya Sabha MPs will be seated in areas meant for the ruling party. Placards will indicate the parties accommodated in each gallery of the Rajya Sabha.

Seating in the Officials Gallery and Press Gallery will also follow strict norms of social distancing.

Officials have been directed to minimise the usage of paper to be physically distributed. For instance, in Standing Committee meetings, circulation of digital copies and reports would be encouraged.