As political parties, leaders and candidates were sweating it out in their hectic campaign for the ongoing nine-phase elections, the Lok Sabha Secretariat was working behind the scenes quietly for the past two months to welcome new members who would know their fate on May 16, the day of counting of votes.
The Secretariat began preparations last month as it launched its “Countdown to Counting” involving about two dozen branches.
The process includes reprinting of manuals on rules, booklets on procedures of the Lok Sabha, information booklet and other related material pertaining to the Central government.
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After the results are declared and newly elected MPs reach the Capital, they will be welcomed at guideposts, which are being set up at the airport and railway stations, LS Secretariat sources said.
Arrangements have been made for providing transit accommodation to the new members in State guest houses and Ashok Hotel. Outgoing MPs would also be requested to vacate their houses and flats for the newly elected members.
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“A newly elected member will be required to fill nearly 18 to 20 forms relating to personal information, medical facilities, accommodation, identity cards, transport and to avail themselves of other facilities,” a senior official said.
The LS Secretariat also coordinates with a number of agencies like Delhi Police, Department of Estates, MTNL, Airports Authority of India, and Northern Railway on issues like security, accommodation and communication.
A temporary photo studio is being set up in room number 62 in Parliament House for preparing photo-identity cards of the new members. The 16th Lok Sabha has to be convened before May 31, the last day of the five-year tenure of the 15th Lok Sabha.
According to a tentative schedule, after swearing in of the Pro-tem Speaker by President Pranab Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhavan, the new members would take oath and the new Speaker of the Lok Sabha is likely to be elected on June 2.
The President is likely to address the joint session of Parliament on June 4.
The session is likely to go on for a week during which the House would debate and adopt motion of thanks to the President’s address.