Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is among Rajya Sabha MPs who have requested permission from the Upper House to remain absent for part or all of the monsoon session.
On Wednesday, Rajya Sabha President M Venkaiah Naidu said lawmakers had requested a leave of absence for health reasons.
MPs who have applied for the license include Parimal Nathwani of the YSRCP; Navaneethakrishnan from AIADMK; KG Kenye from NPF; Banda Prakash and Lakshmikantha Rao from TRS; the deputy nominee Narendra Jadhav; Hishey Lachungpa of the Sikkim Democratic Front; Oscar Fernandes and P Chidambaram from Congress; Manas Ranjan Bhunia of TMC; Anbumani Ramadoss of the PMK; Sushil Kumar Gupta of the AAP; and Mahendra Prasad from JDU.
On Monday, the House was informed that TMC’s Subhasish Chakraborty and Sukhendu Sekhar Ray had also requested permission to stay away during the session for health reasons.
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The monsoon session of Parliament is taking place amid the pandemic and both Houses of Parliament have made extensive arrangements to ensure that physical distancing and other protocols are respected to prevent the spread of the virus.
Rajya Sabha procedures take place between 9:00 AM and 1:00 PM; some of the members have to sit in the galleries as well as in the chambers of Lok Sabha to fulfill the requirement of physical distancing.
Parliamentarians also had to undergo a mandatory Covid-19 test before they could attend the session.
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RS members also raised the problem of oxygen shortages in several states. Digvijay Singh of Congress said that oxygen prices have risen from Rs 10 to Rs 50 per cubic meter. In Devas, Madhya Pradesh, four patients died from lack of oxygen; Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat have also seen a rise in prices, he said.
“The Law of Essential Commodities is being modified. The health minister did not address the oxygen shortage issue in his statement, “Singh said.
Bhagwat Karad from BJP also emphasized the need for an adequate supply of oxygen.
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