The ongoing monsoon session of Lok Sabha will be curtailed by several days, the government decided on Saturday after consulting the opposition at the Business Advisory Committee meeting this evening. The Parliament met for the first time in six months on September 14 and was to function until October 1.
The centre is concerned for the safety of MPs after three of them tested positive for the coronavirus earlier this week, days after their mandatory test reports turned out negative.
A final decision will be taken by the Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs. The Lok Sabha has so far passed three Bills to replace agriculture sector related ordinances.
Also, both the Houses have cleared a bill to replace an ordinance for cutting by 30 per cent the salaries of MPs to ramp up funds in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Earlier in the day, the Rajya Sabha passed the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Second Amendment) Bill, 2020, whereby fresh insolvency proceedings will not be initiated for at least six months starting from March 25 amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Replying to a debate on the Bill in the House, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the intention of the IBC is to keep companies a "going concern" and not liquidate them.
The Bill mandates that a default on repayments from March 25, the day when a nationwide lockdown began to curb the spread of coronavirus, would not be considered for initiating insolvency proceedings for at least six months.
The bill seeks to replace an ordinance promulgated in this regard in June.