COVID-19: Control room to come up in Parliament for information exchange between MPs, MLAs

New Delhi [India], April 21 (ANI): Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Tuesday said that a control room will be set up in Parliament for exchange of information between MPs and MLAs for effective coordination in combating COVID-19.
"A control room will be set up in Parliament for exchange of information between MPs and MLAs for effective coordination in the fight against COVID-19. It will coordinate with all the assemblies control rooms so that we can provide help to the governments to tackle the situation arising due to COVID-19," Birla said here while addressing a press conference after a video-conferencing interaction with Presiding Officers from various legislatures across the country and state Assembly speakers.
"All the state assemblies should set up a control room for real-time information exchange between the various state Assemblies and Parliament, which would allow MLAs and MPs to discharge their duties in a more effective manner to fight the challenge posed by COVID-19," he said.
During the video-conferencing interaction, the Speaker highlighted the role of central and state governments in its fight against the virus. "Governments are playing a role in ensuring proactive cooperation of people in arresting the spread of COVID-19 in the country," he said.
According to an official statement, Birla informed the Presiding Officers that the four Committees of Presiding Officers constituted earlier to look into matters relating to disruptions in the House, autonomy of legislatures, tenth schedule of the Constitution and Information Technology, and related matters -- have made substantial progress in finalising their reports, and will submit them in due course.
"Birla also urged state Assemblies to explore the feasibility of extensive use of digital technology in legislative and financial work, and for other routine tasks such as meetings and file movements so as to make sure that stringent social distancing norms are followed in their respective states," the statement said. (ANI)