Published 17:57 IST, June 1st 2020
RS Chairman-LS Speaker hold talks; online session of Parliament a possibility: Sources
On Monday, Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla held discussions pertaining to holding the Monsoon session of Parliament.
- India News
- 2 min read
On Monday, June 1, Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla held discussions pertaining to holding the Monsoon session of Parliament amid the novel coronavirus crisis. As per sources, two options are being mooted in this regard. First, the Lok Sabha proceedings might be moved to the Central Hall of Parliament while the Rajya Sabha members can sit in the Lok Sabha premises. Another likely option is to conduct the Parliament session online. Sources added another meeting is expected to take place soon to take a final decision. Currently, there are 1,90,535 confirmed novel coronavirus cases in India, out of which 91,819 patients have been discharged while 5394 casualties have been reported
Phased reopening guidelines
The Ministry of Home Affairs on May 30 announced the lockdown would be extended in containment zones nationwide till June 30. Only essential activities shall be permitted in containment zones which will be demarcated by the district authorities. The MHA also issued guidelines for the phased reopening of prohibited activities outside the containment zones.
In phase 1, places of worship, shopping malls, restaurants, hotels and other hospitality services will be allowed to open from June 8 in accordance with the SOP released by the Ministry of Health. The second phase entails that a decision on the reopening of educational institutions will be taken in July based on the feedback from the consultation process involving all stakeholders. Meanwhile, the MHA will declare the dates for the restarting of international air travel of passengers, Metro rail services, cinema halls, gyms, swimming pools, entertainment parks, bars, halls and all types of gatherings according to the assessment of the situation.
DGCA issues fresh directions
Earlier in the day, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued fresh directions to safeguard the health of the passengers travelling by air. These directions are based on the recommendations of an Expert Committee constituted by the Ministry of Civil Aviation on May 26 taking into account the observations of the apex court. The mandate of the aforesaid committee was to review and strengthen the public health protocols of air travel. Most importantly, it advised the airlines to keep the middle seat vacant if the passenger load and seat capacity permits the same.
Updated 17:57 IST, June 1st 2020