Staff Reporter / New Delhi

Monsoon Session of Parliament began today with all precautions related to COVID-19 pandemic. The session is being held in two shifts – 9 AM to 1 PM and 3 PM to 7 PM.

Except today, the Rajya Sabha will sit in the morning shift and the Lok Sabha will sit in the evening shift.

From the entrance of the Parliament Complex to the media gallery it was totally a new experience altogether. All Entry were done after showing the negative COVID-19 report.Wearing of mask was compulsory. Over 4,000 people including MPs and staff have been tested for COVID-19.

Touch-free security, Thermal scanning everything was put in place. Lok Sabha MPs were sitting in a staggered way in chambers of both the Houses. MPs were also sitting in galleries to maintain physical distancing. Members registered their attendance in a specially designed mobile app . From the media gallery, we could see, seats of MPs numbered and separated with poly-carbon sheets. A rare sight, MPs addressed the Chair while seated. Entire Parliament premises was sanitized.

The Session will take up 47 items during its 18 sittings till 1st October. It will take up eleven Bills to replace the ordinances. These include the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, the Indian Medicine Central Council (Amendment) Bill, 2020, the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020, the Banking Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2020, and Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Bill, 2020 and the Salary and Allowances of Ministers (Amendment) Bill, 2020.

Some other new bills are also likely to be introduced, for consideration and passage during this session. These include the Factoring Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2020, the Pension Fund Regulatory And Development Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2020, the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions Bill, 2020, the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2020, the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2020, the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Amendment Bill, 2020 and the Jammu and Kashmir Official Language, Bill, 2020.

Today Rajya Sabha proceedings will be conducted between 3 pm and 7 pm. Proceedings will be held for both Houses on Saturday and Sunday too.