Lok Sabha Secretariat ready to welcome newly elected MPs

New Delhi: The Lok Sabha Secretariat is ready to welcome members of the eighteenth Lok Sabha.

Several measures have been taken to welcome the members and ensure their seamless registration. Secretary-General, Lok Sabha, Utpal Kumar Singh, inspected the preparations on Friday and is monitoring the arrangements on a day-to-day basis.

The secretariat is also making arrangements for a seamless and paperless registration process. To reduce the paperwork and make the registration formalities of members seamless, the registration process of the newly elected members shall be done through an online integrated software application.

Members would not be required to sign multiple physical forms with various branches. This would save a substantial amount of time for members. The integrated software application not only captures the bio profile data of the MP but also includes a solution for the issuance of Parliament Identity Cards based on Facial and Biometric Capturing and a solution for the issuance of CGHS cards to members and spouses.

To minimise complications arising out of the multi-desk approach of the past, all formalities relating to registration, nominations, transit accommodation, and a host of other matters are proposed to be completed with minimum movement of members.

The Secretariat has made arrangements from 2 pm on June 4 and the process will remain operational from 8 am to 8 pm on June 5 to 14, including on Saturdays and Sundays. Earlier, the registration of newly elected members used to take place in the old Parliament House building (now Samvidhan Sadan). This time, the Secretariat has made such arrangements in the Parliament House Annexe.

As many as 20 digital registration counters with as many computers, 10 each in the banquet hall and private dining room (PDR), have been set up in the Parliament House Annexe. These counters have been set up for the end-to-end registration process.

Each counter has been equipped with a desktop with a double-sided screen, printer-cum-scanner, biometric, and a tab for getting signatures.

There are separate counters for clicking photographs and for facial recognition. Additionally, arrangements have also been made for the simultaneous opening of SBI bank accounts, and issuing of permanent Identity Card, and Central Government Health Scheme Cards to the newly elected Members on the spot.

While welcoming the Members, the Secretariat will provide each Member with a set of publications relating to the Constitution of India, Rules, Directions, and some other useful publications in hard copies. Besides, a few other publications will be provided to members in soft versions.

A waiting area has been provided for family members and guests of the MPs at the Banquet Hall in the Extension to Parliament House Annexe. In case more guests arrive, the spillover will be seated in a nearby committee room.

A total of 70 Officers/Officials have been trained to man the registration counter in shifts. The Liaison Officers (Los) have also been imparted training to make data entry through the tabs while the MPs are waiting in the designated waiting area (Banquet Hall in EPHA building). The intent is to minimise the registration time for MPs while they are in Parliament Complex for registration.

Videos on the foundation stone laying ceremony of the Parliament Building, Inauguration of the Parliament Building, and Multimedia Devices, have been kept ready for playing in the Banquet Hall, Committee Room 1 and 2 EPHA for the Members.

A team has been assigned the task of keeping a close tab on the Election Commission website on the day of the declaration of results and to enter the contact details of successful candidates in near real-time. The team using a software application would be able to check whether the successful candidate is a new MP or a re-elected MP.

The same information would be shared with Liaison Officers (Los) through software application to make further data entry of their tour programmes. The dashboard would be available for the stakeholders to get updated information in near real-time. An endeavor has been made to deploy LOs from the same region/language to facilitate members and ensure faster communication.

The LOs have been briefed to reach out to the Members, specifically newly elected Members, to sensitise them to bring specific set of documents. Members will also be requested to forward certain information either through email at "[email protected]" or in hard copy to Los.

Transit accommodation in the Western Court Annexe/Hostel or State/UT Bhawans/Guest Houses shall be provided to newly elected Members who are not already in possession of Government accommodation in Delhi/New Delhi till they are provided regular accommodation by the House Committee, Lok Sabha.

In a progressive stride from past practices, a software based computerized system for the allotment of Transit Accommodation to Members of the 18th Lok Sabha in the Western Court Annexe/Hostel or State/UT Bhawans/Guest Houses has been implemented.

Accommodation desks have been set up at Parliament House Complex to allot/change transit accommodation to the newly elected Members.

The services of the accommodation desk will be available 24X7.

Guideposts have been set up at all three domestic terminals at IGI Airport and Railway Stations at Delhi, New Delhi, Nizamuddin and Anand Vihar (from June 4 to 9 - tentative) to receive elected Members of 18th Lok Sabha and to render them necessary help/services that they may require.

The Guideposts at Airports/Railway Station(s) will function on June 4 (6.00 pm to 11.00 pm) (one shift) and from June 5 to 9 (from 5.00 am to 2.00 pm and 2.00 pm to 11.00 pm. (in two shifts). The Officers/staff of Lok Sabha Secretariat have been deployed to perform duties at Guideposts at Airport and Railway Station(s).

Transport facilities will also be available at Airports/Railway Station(s) for ferrying Members to Parliament House Complex/State Bhawan/Guest House(s) as the case may be.

CGHS Medical Posts will function on 24X7 basis in North Avenue and South Avenue and near Western Court Annexe/Hostel at Telegraph lane to extend Medical facilities to the Members. In addition, Ambulance services will also be available 24X7. In case of any medical emergency/sudden illness of Member(s), the nearby hospitals have also been sensitised.