Budget session may have 5-hr shifts, Question Hour to return

A large number of lawmakers will be sitting in the Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha chambers to watch Kovind’s first speech to Parliament since the emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has taken 150,000 Indian lives so far, including that of a Union minister and three MPs.

When President Ram Nath Kovind addresses a joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament in Central Hall on January 29, it will likely be a packed house, but with social distancing and other stringent health protocols in place to ward off the threat of the coronavirus disease.

In 2020, two sessions were cut short, and the Winter session was scrapped entirely due to the pandemic. (HT PHOTO.)

A large number of lawmakers will be sitting in the Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha chambers to watch Kovind’s first speech to Parliament since the emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has taken 150,000 Indian lives so far, including that of a Union minister and three MPs.

In 2020, two sessions were cut short, and the Winter session was scrapped entirely due to the pandemic.

The upcoming Budget session, the first this year, will emulate the health and safety protocols used in the Monsoon session. The schedule, however, may be extended. In the last session, both houses were scheduled to work in shifts of four hours each. “This time, both Houses may be allotted at least five hours as the workload will be much more,” a senior Rajya Sabha official, who asked not to be named, told HT.

The longer hours are necessitated by the Budget session’s heavy-duty schedule, which includes a debate on the President’s speech, the presentation and passage of the general Budget, separate discussions on the functioning of at least ten ministries, clearing the Finance Bill, and other items on the legislative agenda.

“We have made comprehensive preparations for the Budget session and it will be duly conducted,” Lok Saha Speaker Om Birla said at a function in Dehradun, on Thursday.

When asked if Question Hour would a part of the schedule -- it was left out of the Monsoon session, leading to a war of words between the government and the Opposition -- he confirmed that it would be.

Officials involved in the planning of the Budget Session said on condition of anonymity that the “new normal” in Parliament’s seating arrangement, which involves MPs of one House being spread over both Houses, is likely to remain in place because everyone, including Prime Minister Modi, health ministry officials, and health experts , are repeatedly emphasising the need to continue wearing masks and maintaining social distance.

“The government has not told us to lower the guard against the pandemic. which means that we have to continue to take all possible safety precautions. including social distancing,” an official involved in the planning .

Giant TV screens in different corners of the chambers, plexiglass sheets in front of members’ seats, a blanket ban on the entry of visitors, hourly sanitisation, MPs sitting in chambers as well as galleries — these were some of the unique features of the last Monsoon session that will be replicated this time.

When asked if members of Parliament would be vaccinated against the coronavirus, Birla: “Our scientists and doctors have worked hard. Now, the government will decide how the vaccines would be given. The guidelines given by the Centre regarding the vaccine administration will be followed.”

India’s drug regulator has given emergency use authorisation to two vaccines, Serum Institute of India’s Covishield, developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca, and Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin.

Vice president M. Venkaiah Naidu, chairman of the Rajya Sabha, is also deeply involved in the planning for the session. He has been given regular reports on the preparations being made and inputs have been sought from him for putting in place a foolproof system.

Over the past few days, informal interactions have taken place between Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha officials over the preparations of the session.

The Union Budget will be presented on February 1, and a host of bills are set to be cleared even as the Opposition is gearing up to protest against three contentious farm laws aimed at opening up agricultural trade has to massive agitation from farmers, particularly from Punjab and Haryana.