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Logjam over House debate list

LAC tension, Covid, economy likely to keep temp high in Monsoon Session

Amid the worsening coronavirus pandemic, falling economy and an aggressive China on the Line of Actual Control (LAC), Parliament would begin its 18-day Monsoon Session on Monday with no Question Hour and shortening of Zero Hour.

In a clear indication of unusual times, for the first time in two decades, the Lok Sabha Speaker did not host an all-party meeting on the eve of the Session for consultation between the ruling party and the Opposition for the smooth running of the legislative business.

The departure from the convention came amid a rift between the Opposition and the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on the issues to be raised on the floor of Parliament.

A meeting of the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) was called to iron out contentious issues, including the abolition of Question Hour and the curtailing of Zero Hour which has been opposed by the Opposition parties.

Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury who attended the BAC meeting said the meet did not come to “any conclusion on the issues raised by us, therefore, Birla will convene another  meeting on September 15.”

Chowdhury said, “We have proposed issues of unemployment, status of migrant labourers, economic scenario in the country to be discussed in Parliament. We urged the Government that Opposition voices should be heard in Parliament. We want to have a discussion on Covid-19, NEP, environment policy, floods, border tensions with China. We will continue to raise people’s problem in Parliament,” he said.

The Congress leader said not only his party but the entire Opposition wants to know what is happening on the borders with China. “We want to know Government’s views on this. We will support the Government whatever decision it takes to counter China,” he said.

The Lok Sabha Speaker hoped after the BAC meet that all members will be present and will engage in fruitful discussions. He said leaders of all political parties have “taken a pledge to uphold and carry our constitutional duties and responsibilities even in this hour of crisis.”

Politically, Bihar polls which are round the corner may generate heat with Opposition raising the Government’s handling of the Covid-19 in the State and the alleged neglect of migrant labourers.

A discussion on the India-China face-off is unlikely to be allowed anytime soon during the limited session. In 2017 the Government had refused discussion on China’s incursion at Doklam on the LAC citing national security.

Parliament resumes after 20 soldiers were killed at Glawan in Ladakh after clashes with China in June. The Opposition is expected to seek clarification on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first reaction on the LAC stand-off following Glawan incident when he asserted in the All-Party Meet that “no one entered Indian territory, no posts taken”.

The New Education Policy which needed to be discussed full-stetch is expected to be deliberated in both Houses of Parliament.

The Parliament session will start amid strict precautionary measures with rising cases of Covi-19. All the members and staff are to get themselves tested for coronavirus before coming to Parliament. Parliament has also launched application for digital attendance.

Lok Sabha will function from 9 am to 1 pm on the first day and from 3 pm to 7 pm till October 1. The Rajya Sabha will function from 3 pm to 7 pm the first day and 9 am to 1 pm the rest of the days. Parliament has decided to work even on weekends.

The Session will provide a total of 18 sittings spread over a period of 18 days (all the days including Saturdays and Sundays of the ensuing session will be working days) and a total of 47 items have been identified for being taken up during the Monsoon Session, 2020 (includes 45 Bills and 02 financial items).

The session will see other measures like seating MPs in a staggered way in chambers of both Houses, as well as galleries to maintain physical distancing norms, introduction of mobile app for registering of MPs attendance and seats separated with poly-carbon sheets in the House.

Officials said arrangements were made for tests of close to 4,000 people, including the MPs, staff members and journalists.

Only MPs and Ministers will be allowed inside the main building, while necessary seating arrangements will be made for separate sitting of their personal staff in the complex.

The MPs will also be allowed to address the Chair while seated and wearing their masks so that the risk of infection might be minimised.

Most parliamentary operations have been digitalised, entire premises sanitised and doors made touch-free.

Entry in the premises will be allowed only on production of a Covid-19 negative report, with the test conducted not more than 72 hours before the start of the session.

Frequent sanitisation of the entire Parliament complex will also be carried out, while arrangements have been made to sanitise various parliamentary papers as well as footwear and cars of MPs, officials said.

Frisking of people will also make way for touch-less security scanning, while thermal scanning will also be totally touch-free.

It has also been decided that air of air conditioners will be exchanged six times every day to avoid any possible infection.

For making the entire Parliament complex a safe zone in view of the Covid-19 pandemic, Lok Sabha Speaker and Rajya Sabha chairman M Venkaiah Naidu had held a series of extensive discussions with officials of the Home Ministry, the Health Ministry, the Indian Council of Medical Research and the Defence Research and Development Organisation.

Monday, 14 September 2020 | PNS | New Delhi

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