New Delhi: The monsoon session of parliament will run from September 14 to October 1, with proceedings to continue during the weekend to ensure that MPs do not return to constituencies.
The first parliamentary session to be held since the country went into lockdown to contain the coronavirus pandemic in March will be held with several new rules in place.
The Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha will be in session for four hours a day, with a session each in the morning and evening.
The Indian Express said that the government has proposed that the Question Hour may be dropped due to limited working hours. However, presiding officers of both houses will take a decision only after discussions with opposition parties.
NDTV reported citing government sources that the parliament will also function on weekends to ensure that MPs do not return to their constituencies amid the pandemic and either get infected or carry the virus back with them.
The television channel also reported that there were proposals to install an ultraviolet irradiation system in the air-conditioning unit of the Rajya Sabha to kill germs and viruses.
In order to accommodate concerns over social distancing, the chambers and galleries of both houses will be used for MPs, with different parties allotted seats based on their strength.
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Display screens and audio galleries will be set up in the chambers and galleries, along with other communication systems to allow for members to participate in discussions.
The Lok Sabha chamber will accommodate only 168 members, with the rest to be seated in galleries. Similarly, the Rajya Sabha main chamber will have only 60 members at one time, with every row to be separated by polycarbonate sheets.
In Rajya Sabha, there will be seats reserved for the prime minister, ministers, former prime ministers, leader of the house and leader of the opposition in the main chamber, NDTV reported.
Only seven reporters would be allowed to sit in the press gallery, besides news agencies and state-run media. Journalists who have only temporary or sessional passes will not be allowed to enter the press gallery. Further, journalists and former parliamentarians will not be allowed in the central hall during sessions.