New Delhi, Jan 19 (PTI) All MPs will be requested to undergo COVID-19 test before the start of the Budget session and arrangement for the same will be made in the parliament premises from January 27, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said on Tuesday.

Addressing a press conference about the start of the parliament session, he said all necessary coronavirus related protocols, including maintaining social distancing and sanitisation, will be followed during the session which is starting from January 29.

Birla on Tuesday chaired a high-level meeting of top government officials for holding the Budget session amid the pandemic.

Interacting with reporters after the meeting, the Lok Sabha speaker said, "All MPs will be requested to undergo RT-PCR test to detect COVID-19 before the start of the Budget session. Arrangements for the test will also be made in parliament premises for two days starting from January 27, he said.

Arrangements were also being made so that COVID-19 tests can be conducted near the residences of the parliamentarians, Birla said.

The Lok Sabha speaker said the House will sit in two shifts, morning and evening. The Rajya Sabha will sit in morning from 9 am to 1 pm and the Lok Sabha from 4 pm to 8 pm.

Budget session of parliament will be held in two parts, January 29 to February 15 and then from March 8 to April 8.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)