Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thursday said the House and the Government have to take a call on the election of the Deputy Speaker, amid the Congress’ demand for an appointment to the post which is vacant for the past one year.
Leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury had on Wednesday demanded the appointment of the Deputy Speaker, pointing out the delay of more than a year.
Customarily, the Deputy Speaker’s post is given to the main opposition party or its allies. However, in 2014, Government-friendly AIADMK got the post of Deputy Speaker. Birla did not elaborate further on this matter. Addressing the media about the monsoon session from September 14, the Speaker said holding the Monsoon Session this year was a challenge because of the Covid-19 pandemic but it will be “historic”.
Birla said the Zero Hour will be of half-an-hour duration and there will be no Question Hour but written questions could be asked and they will have to be answered. The monsoon session of Parliament is scheduled from September 14 to October 1.
Hectic preparations are underway for the session with several first-time measures being taken because of the pandemic, such as testing of MPs, staggered seating arrangements in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha and use of both chambers and galleries to accommodate the members. Birla said 257 members will be seated in the Lok Sabha hall, 172 in Lok Sabha gallery, 60 in Rajya Sabha and 51 in Rajya Sabha gallery. Chambers will be sanitised and the MPS will have to undergo RT-PCR test for Covid-19 before the session begins, the Lok Sabha Speaker said.