Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said on January 19 that all necessary arrangements will be made keeping the COVID-19 protocols in mind during the upcoming Budget Session of the Parliament starting from January 29.
Birla said that the Question Hour will be allowed during the Budget Session for an already fixed time of one hour.
At the virtual meeting of the Standing Committee of the Conference of the Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC), Birla said: “All MPs will be requested to undergo COVID-19 test before the start of Parliament session. The Rajya Sabha will sit from 9 am to 2 pm; the Lok Sabha 4-8 pm during Parliament session, ” reported news agency ANI.
He said all arrangements have also been made for RTPCR COVID-19 tests of MPs near their residence. In Parliament premises, the RTPCR tests will be conducted on January 27-28, while arrangements have also been made for these tests of families and staff members of MPs. Birla said the vaccination drive policy finalised by the Centre and states will apply to parliamentarians as well.
Birla also added that the food served in Parliament canteens for MPs and others will become costlier as a subsidy given for it has been stopped.
While Birla did not specify the financial implications of the move, sources said the Lok Sabha Secretariat can annually save more than Rs 8 crore with the subsidy coming to an end. Talking to reporters about preparations for the next Parliament session, he said the Parliament canteens will now be run by ITDC in place of Northern Railways.
With inputs from agencies