As some union ministers and MPs tested positive for Covid-19 since the commencement of the monsoon session of Parliament, opposition parties and the government have decided to curtail the scheduled session after passage of important bills.
The session may end by the middle of next week, according to official sources. A final decision will be taken by the Cabinet committee on parliamentary affairs. At a meeting of the business advisory committee of the Lok Sabha, which has floor leaders of all parties besides government representatives and is chaired by Speaker Om Birla, most parties favoured curtailment of the session which had started on September 14 and was scheduled to conclude on October 1.
Two Union ministers - Nitin Gadkari and Prahlad Patel - who attended the current Parliamentary session have tested positive. Some MPs like BJP’s Vinay Sahashrabuddhe also reported their Covid positive status. So far, 30 MPs have tested positive, including 20 after the session started. The Lok Sabha has so far passed three bills to replace agriculture sector-related ordinances. Also, both the Houses have cleared a bill to replace an ordinance for cutting by 30 per cent the salaries of MPs to ramp up funds in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.
Opposition parties have conveyed to the government that conducting a full 18-day session could be a risky affair, sources said. In order to prevent the spread of coronavirus within the Parliament complex, reporters and parliamentary staff entering the premises now have to undergo the rapid antigen test mandatorily on a daily basis, according to a new protocol put in place.
