Staggered sittings in Parliament during Budget Session

New Delhi, Jan 25: Parliament will function in shifts for the Budget Session in wake of the rising number of COVID-19 cases caused by the new variant, Omicron. A highly dispersed seating arrangement is in place for the lawmakers for the session that would be presented on February 1.

This is the second time that the Houses have been forced to function in a staggered manner during the Budget Session. The Rajya Sabha is likely to work in the morning shift while the Lok Sabha would function in the afternoon.

The plan was implemented after Rajya Sabha chairman, Venkaiah Naidu spoke with Lok Sabha Speaker, Om Birla. Similar arrangements were made in 2020 and 2021.

The Union Budget will be presented by Union Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman in the Lok Sabha on February 1 at 11 am. The Lok Sabha will meet from 4 pm to 9 pm everyday. The timings of the Upper House will be decided soon.