Virtual participation, limited attendance of MPs on mind as Parliament explores options to hold monsoon session

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 9

Efforts to hold the monsoon session of Parliament continued with the presiding officers of both the Houses on Tuesday directing officials to explore virtual participation and other options, including limiting attendance of members in person.

With logistics of space coming in the way of holding a session where members can be seated by following the norm of social distancing, Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla asked the Secretaries General to examine in detail various aspects, parliamentary sources said here.

The presiding officers directed the top officials to work on virtual participation of members in the proceedings of both the Houses. The idea is to utilise the maximum capacity available to enable such virtual participation, feasibility of enabling participation of members as per the Rules of Business of both the Houses, other technical issues etc.

The Secretaries General reported the outcomes of assessment of seating capacity in the Chambers of both the Houses, the Central Hall of Parliament and the Plenary Hall of Vigyan Bhawan.

The top officials said while the Rajya Sabha Chamber can accommodate about 60 members as per the norms of social distancing, the Lok Sabha Chamber and the Central Hall has space for a little over 100 members.

They further said that even if the members were to be accommodated in the galleries, the total seating capacity would be much less than required, if all members were to be accommodated. Even the Plenary Hall of the Vigyan Bhawan would not be adequate to accommodate all the 543 members of the Lok Sabha. The Rajya Sabha has 245 members.

The officials further informed that the presiding officers of certain other limitations if the Central Hall and Vigyan Bhawan were to be used for the session like non-availability of air-conditioning facility during the day in the Central Hall and simultaneous interpretation service etc.

Another option discussed was to enable attendance in the Chambers of both the Houses of only those many members who can be accommodated as per the social distancing norm by drawing up lists of such members whose participation in various items of business is required on a daily basis.

Regarding virtual meetings of the parliamentary committees, it was explained that any change in the rules to hold such meetings required a motion to be carried in both the Houses of Parliament.

On June 3, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home headed by Anand Sharma had to cancel a scheduled meeting after request for virtual session was turned down as some members expressed inability to attend in person due to quarantine rules in states.