Rajya Sabha chairman takes trial of Monsoon Session

Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu took a trial on Thursday of the preparations for the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament, which is likely to commence from September 14, and expressed satisfaction at the arrangements.

As the members of the Rajya Sabha will be seated at multiple locations, including the galleries of the House and in the Lok Sabha, a hotline facility between the chambers of the two Houses has been created for the technology-aided session.

This will ensure an effective coordination for hassle-free, technology-aided participation of the members in the first-of-its-kind proceedings of the House during the Monsoon Session.

Preparing for such a session, the chairman went through the "familiarisation drill" for over 45 minutes on Thursday, Rajya Sabha officials said.

To comply with the physical-distancing norms, the members will be seated in four galleries and the chambers of both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.

This requires the chairman to keep an eye on six different locations from where the members will take part in the proceedings.

Naidu went through the drill in respect of various elements of the proceedings of the House, including members seeking to raise various issues from different locations by raising hands, raising points of order, participating in a voice vote and division of votes, if required.

Naidu also tested the audio quality, along with the simultaneous interpretation, when members participate in the proceedings while sitting in both the Houses.

Rajya Sabha officials were made to sit in the chambers of both the Houses and the galleries of the Upper House for the mock proceedings.

Naidu expressed satisfaction over the systems put in place for the first-of-its-kind multi-location proceedings of the House, a statement from the Rajya Sabha Secretariat said.

As a backup option, a hotline communication facility has been set up between the chambers of the two Houses for communicating any message regarding participation of the members in case of any technical emergency, it said.

The chambers of both the Houses are connected by 500-metre-long optic fibre and audio-video cables for a real-time transmission of signals to enable the members seated in the Houses to watch the proceedings.

For enabling the Rajya Sabha members to sign the attendance register as required under the law, Naidu directed the officials to distribute the members at six counters, as against the present arrangement of signing in one register, so as to minimise the physical contact, officials said.