Amid reports of an early conclusion of the ongoing Budget Session of Parliament due to the rising scare of coronavirus, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi on Friday asserted that there was no question of curtailing of the session. “There is no question of curtailing the Budget Session. The session will not be curtailed,” Joshi said. The Budget Session started on January 31 and then it went on recess on February 11. It resumed on March 3 and will conclude on April 2.
On Thursday, some members had sought Speaker to get thermal scanning system installed in the Parliament house as a precautionary measure .
Almost no business could be transacted during three days of the current budget session due to Opposition's demand to have an immediate discussion on the Delhi riot which claimed 53 lives with the government insisting that the debate could be held after the festival of 'holi' when passions would have subsided. The debate eventually took place after the festival on March-11 & March 12.
Speaker Om Birla, this week, asked members whether they are ready for the Lok Sabha proceedings during Saturday and Sunday to make up for the loss of man-days to which members did not agree to apparently due to their own preoccupations back home .
Post-Delhi riot debate, the proceedings in Parliament had a smooth run and some of the pending bills were introduced and passed with due discussions. The rapid pace development in Madhya Pradesh with a demand for test of majority in the state assembly did not have its adverse echo in the Lok Sabha which continued with its question and zero hours without any disturbances.