Budget Session Amid Covid Surge: Naidu, Birla Look at Options to Keep Everyone Safe

The rise in Covid cases in the national capital, especially with 400 Parliament staff testing positive over the last weekend, has led to a major rethink regarding the budget session which will be convened in the next fortnight.

Rajya Sabha chairman M Venkaiah Naidu and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla have spoken on the issue and asked their respective secretary generals to hold meetings to analyse the situation at the earliest. The two secretary generals have also been asked to consider various available options and submit proposals, keeping the safety and security of all, including members of Parliament and members of the secretariat, in mind.

Since the outbreak of Covid and resumption of services post the lockdown in 2020, the monsoon session was conducted amid strict Covid protocols and guidelines, restricting the entry of the media and regular testing of all those entering the building. The seating arrangement was also planned keeping social distancing in mind. Then, members of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha held sessions in a gap of four hours, with a gap of two hours in between to sanitise the area.

The winter session of Parliament in 2020 was also called off and it was then merged with the budget session of Parliament in 2021 amid strict Covid protocols. This time, both the houses were functioning concurrently, with emphasis on wearing masks, following social distancing and barring entry of visitors.

India is fighting its third fight against Covid with the phase 3 of Omicron dominating and over 1,50,000 cases being reported over the last week. Both the custodians have asked the secretariat officials to hold regular meetings and keep updating the chair so that the best case scenario can be taken into account before taking a call on the budget session.

As per government sources, the union budget is likely to be presented on February 1, 2022. Usually, the first part of the budget session is held for 8-10 days, but given the surge and with many members testing positive, a call will be taken on curtailing the first part and directly going ahead with the presentation of the budget and passing it.

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