MPs want shorter Budget session amid coronavirus scare

Parliament on Monday stepped up safety measures by deploying digital temperature sensors at entry gates, placing hand sanitisers in common areas and barring visitors in the public galleries in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.

The government is expected to consider suggestions made by some members on curtailing the ongoing Budget Session of Parliament in a day or two.

Members cutting across party lines have suggested curtailing the Budget Session after the transaction of the financial business, but a section believes that such action would lead to panic.

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BJP Rajya Sabha member Vijay Goel wrote letters to Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla requesting them to adjourn the ongoing Budget Session sine die after the transaction of financial business. The second part of the Budget Session commenced on March 2 and is scheduled to continue till April 3.

Asked whether Trinamool Congress has officially sought curtailment of Parliament session, its Rajya Sabha leader Derek O’Brien said, “We are bringing the information what is in the public domain to government’s knowledge. Let the government do its job.”

Meanwhile, among a slew of measures to fight the spread of Covid-19 in the country, Rajya Sabha MPs on Monday suggested dispelling of rumours like eating chicken will lead to virus infection, ensure that ATMs are sanitised, curtail ongoing Parliament Session and extending screening at domestic terminals of airports .

MPs from CPM’s Elamaram Kareem to Derek O’Brien, BJP’s Vikas Mahatme, Biju Janata Dal’s Sasmit Patra and AIADMK’ R Balasubramoniyan spoke on various aspects of fighting Covid-19 during Zero Hour.

Mahatme raised the issue of rumours in social media and other platforms about eating chicken would spread
Covid-19. He wanted the government to dispel such measures.