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Budget Session Will Have Question Hour, No Vaccine On Priority For MP: Om Birla

By FnF Correspondent | PUBLISHED: 19, Jan 2021, 20:54 pm IST | UPDATED: 20, Jan 2021, 12:08 pm IST

Budget Session Will Have Question Hour, No Vaccine On Priority For MP: Om Birla Delhi: In order to ensure smooth running of Budget Sessions of the Parliament, Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla on Tuesday said that the proceedings of both the Houses will be held with all Covid-19 protocols in place. "All necessary arrangements will be made as per the Covid-19 protocols during the forthcoming Budget Session of the Parliament starting from January 29," Birla said.

Birla's remarks came after he chaired a virtual meeting with the Union home secretary, AIIMS director, officials of the public works department, health secretary and other government officials to finalise preparations ahead of the session that is slated to begin on January 29. 

Informing about the schedule of the upcoming Parliament session, Birla said that in the first half of the session, the Parliament will meet 12 times, while there are 21 sittings scheduled in the second half. The Rajya Sabha will function from 9 am to 2 pm and Lok Sabha from 4 pm to 9 pm, he added. 

"Everyone inside the Parliament complex, including Members of Parliament, their families and staff, Secretariat staff and members of the media would need to undergo RT-PCR tests," Birla said.

When asked about if MPs will be given priority for getting Coronavirus vaccine, the Lok Sabha speaker said that vaccination drive policy finalised by Centre, states will apply to Parliamentarians as well. "We will have to wait for our turns," he said. Even PM Modi, during his Covid-19 review meeting with Chief Ministers of various states, had said that public representatives including MPs and MLAs are not on the priority list.