Parliament's Monsoon Session begins; Congress notice over Chinese incursion in Ladakh

The Monsoon session 2020 of Parliament is set to commence today, i.e. Monday. The fourth session of the 17th Lok Sabha and 252nd session of Rajya Sabha is scheduled to be held today and subject to exigencies of government business, may conclude on October 1.

As per a press release from the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, 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.

There will be a four-hour session for each House each day (9 am to 1 pm for Rajya Sabha and 3 pm to 7 pm for Lok Sabha. But on the first day, only i.e. on September 14, of the Lok Sabha will meet in the morning session.

The total 11 Bills to replace ordinances are as follows:

• The Farmers` Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020
• The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Prices Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020
• The Homoeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Bill, 2020
• The Indian Medicine Central Council (Amendment) Bill, 2020
• Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020
• The Insolvency & Bankruptcy (Second) Amendment Bill, 2020
• The Banking Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2020
• The Taxation and Other Laws (Relaxation of Certain Provisions) Bill, 2020
• The Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Bill, 2020
• The Salary and Allowances of Ministers (Amendment) Bill, 2020
• The Salary, Allowances and Pension of Members of Parliament (Amendment) Bill, 2020

Before the monsoon session of Parliament, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla visited the Parliament complex on Sunday to take stock of health and safety measures and other preparations and also gave several guidelines to the officials.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla chaired the Business Advisory Committee meeting in Parliament House Annexe on Sunday morning. After this, he visited the Parliament complex for about one and a half hours. He first inspected the entrance and understood the working of the thermal camera installed there.

He also instructed to make sanitizer available to every employee posted at the entrance. He then looked at the COVID Testing Facility, Assembly Hall, Corridor, Inner Lobby, Outer Lobby, Waiting Hall, Media Stand, and other places in the campus prepared for MPs and directed to remove minor deficiencies.

 After the inspection, the Lok Sabha Speaker said that the monsoon session of Parliament is being held under adverse circumstances. Health security arrangements have been made for the monsoon session. It has been ensured that sanitation and other arrangements should be in place at all places, following the guidelines of the Central Government and the suggestions of expert institutions.

He expressed confidence that the operation of the House will be uninterrupted and orderly and with the cooperation of all parties will be successful in achieving work productivity like before Parliament.

Earlier in the Business Advisory Committee, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla gave a detailed account of health security and other preparations to all the parties. Birla said that in the meeting it was emphasized that legislative issues should be discussed in a more meaningful and positive manner during the session, following the health-related protocols in exceptional circumstances. All parties have assured maximum cooperation in legislative work and other subjects. MPs are committed to fulfilling their constitutional obligations.

The Lok Sabha Speaker said that the COVID test has been conducted for all MPs and their families before the session. All MPs have been sent a kit of sanitizer, mask, gloves, and other health protection related material. All officers and employees of Parliament were also tested. The test facility will be available on campus during the entire duration of the session. He said that if a member has a health-related complaint, then proper arrangements have been made for their proper treatment.