Secretaries Generals of Parliament asked to suggest measures for safe conduct of Budget session

New Delhi, Jan 11 (SocialNews.XYZ) Concerned with the rising number of Covid cases in the national capital, Rajya Sabha Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Monday directed the Secretary Generals of both the Houses to suggest measures for the safe conduct of the upcoming Budget session.

Sources said that Naidu and Birla have asked the Secretary General of both the Houses to review the prevailing Covid situation and suggest measures for the safe conduct of the Budget session.

"Both Naidu and Birla have asked the Secretary Generals to review the adequacy of the Covid protocol followed during the last Winter Session. Both the Secretary Generals have been asked to submit a proposal in this regard at the earliest," sources said.

After over 400 Parliament staff tested positive for Covid-19 during random testing and with the rise in the number of cases in the national capital, meetings of several parliamentary committees were cancelled on Monday.

The Parliamentary standing committees on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice, Urban Development, and Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology decided to cancel their meetings on Monday, the sources said.

Over 400 Parliament staff have tested positive for Covid-19 during random testing. Among those who tested positive, 65 are from the Rajya Sabha, 200 from the Lok Sabha and 133 belong to allied services.

Random testing was conducted after a sudden spike in cases in the national capital, and most of the staff who tested positive did not show any symptoms.

"More random testing will be conducted for those coming to the Parliament to control the spread of the infection," sources said.

Source: IANS