Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu issued directions to ensure full preparedness for the monsoon session of parliament by the third week of August, said the Rajya Sabha Secretariat on Sunday.

Various arrangements are being made in order to ensure compliance with the social distancing norms under the corona virus-induced restrictions. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Monsoon session of Parliament has already been delayed.

Additional things being installed for the monsoon session:

1. Four large display screens in the chamber and six small screens in four galleries of House.

2. All the seats in the galleries are being fitted with consoles to enable the participation of members from their seats.

3. Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation in the air conditioning unit of Rajya Sabha.

4. Special cables are being laid connecting the two Houses of Parliament for transmitting audio-visual signals of the proceedings both ways, to enable real-time participation of members seated in the two Houses.

5. Polycarbonate sheet separating the official gallery from the chamber of the House.

"All these arrangements mark the first of its kind session to be held in compliance with the social distancing norm under the corona virus-induced restrictions," said Rajya Sabha Secretariat.

"Using the chambers and the galleries of both the Houses for holding the session will be the first of its kind in the history of Indian Parliament since 1952," it added.

Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla at a meeting on July 17, decided on using chambers and galleries of both Houses, for enabling the session under prevailing restrictions.

Seating arrangements for Monsoon session

As per the arrangements, the Rajya Sabha chamber and galleries and Lok Sabha chamber will be used for seating the members of the House during the monsoon session.

This includes 60 members in the chamber, 51 in the galleries of Rajya Sabha (leaving out the first row), and the remaining 132 (including by-polls for two seats) in the chamber of Lok Sabha.

According to Rajya Sabha Secretariat, 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.

In the Rajya Sabha chamber, seats will be earmarked for the Prime Minister, Leader of the House, Leader of the Opposition (LoP) and leaders of other parties. Former Prime Ministers and former Leaders of the House Dr Manmohan Singh and HD Deve Gowda, besides Ramvilas Paswan and Ramdas Atshawale, being Ministers and members of the House will also have earmarked seats in the chamber of the House.

Other ministers will be seated in the seats meant for the ruling party.

Seating in the Officials Gallery and Press Gallery will also be in conformity with social distancing norms, each accommodating 15. Only a limited number of secretariat officials will be seated at the table of the House and the reporters (for taking verbatim note of proceedings of the House) will be accommodated in the special box meant for foreign dignitaries.

The three interpretation booths of Rajya Sabha will be integrated with audio systems for simultaneous interpretation for the benefit of the members seated in both the Houses.

RSTV and LSTV, through their existing arrangements, will enable live telecast of the proceedings of both the Houses besides displaying the proceedings of each on the screens in the other House.

Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu also directed the secretariat officials to minimise the need for the members to physically handle various papers.

The budget session of Parliament started on January 31 and continued till February 11. After the break, it commenced on March 2 for its second leg and was scheduled to end on April 3. However, it was adjourned on March 23 due to COVID-19 pandemic.

(With inputs from ANI)