No hard copies of ordinances will be distributed in upcoming Parliament session

New Delhi, Aug 24: Hard copies of ordinances will not be circulated among MPs in the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament to check the spread of COVID-19 and they will be given digitised version of the documents, the Lok Sabha Secretariat said on Monday.

A number of ordinances promulgated by the government are expected to be taken up by Parliament in the upcoming session.

"Members are informed that in view of the prevailing situation of COVID-19 pandemic and in order to check the spread of infection which may occur due to handling of physical papers, it has been decided to discontinue circulation of hard copies of ordinances with effect from the ensuing 4th Session of 17th Lok Sabha," the secretariat said in a notification. However, the ordinances will continue to be circulated electronically among the members, it said.

The Lok Sabha Secretariat has been making necessary arrangements for holding the session while ensuring social distancing norms. Sources said the schedule of the session has not been finalised yet, but it is unlikely to start before the second week of September.

According to rules, the House must meet before September 23 as there cannot be a gap of more than six months between two sessions. The budget session was adjourned prematurely on March 23.

A number of arrangements are being made to ensure social distancing in the sitting plan of both houses in the upcoming session and therefore it is most likely that session will be held in two shifts -- morning and evening -- with one house sitting in each shift. There are also proposals to install an ultraviolet irradiation system in the air-conditioning unit to kill germs and viruses.