Ahead of the monsoon session in Parliament, Vice President and Rajya Sabha chairman M Venkaiah Naidu has undergone COVID19 test, said the Vice President’s Secretariat on Sunday.
The secretariat said it is mandatory for all members of the Upper House to undergo COVID19 test before attending the session.
“Preparing himself to preside over the upcoming monsoon session of Parliament beginning on September 14, 2020, Chairman, Rajya Sabha, M Venkaiah Naidu underwent Covid-19 test today,” the Vice President Secretariat said in a statement.
“It is mandatory for each member to undergo Covid-19 test (RT-PCR) before attending the upcoming session, according to an advisory issued to all Rajya Sabha members,” it added.
According to the statement, the members of the Upper House have been instructed to get their test done within 72 hours before the commencement of the session at any hospital/laboratory authorised by the government or at Parliament House Complex.
In order to ensure social distancing norms, the Rajya Sabha chamber, galleries, and the Lok Sabha chamber will be used for the members’ sitting.
While 57 of the members will be accommodated in the chamber, 51 others will be accommodated in the galleries of Rajya Sabha.
The remaining 136 will be seated in the chamber of Lok Sabha.
In all, there are 244 members and one seat is vacant.
“Four large display screens in the chamber will show the members speaking and there will be seamless live telecast of the proceedings on Rajya Sabha TV,” said the statement.
“In addition, six smaller display screens and audio consoles have been installed in the four galleries,” it added.