Standing on a long wooden table, Manoj is putting the finishing touches to Red Fort — a painting showing an elaborate gathering of people turning up for an Independence Day event.

Just behind him, labourers are busy carrying the dark green coloured carpet, broken chairs, old upholstery and dilapidated wooden panels from the Central Hall of Parliament outside into the gallery.

Parliament is being decked up for an unprecedented midnight sitting.

Central Hall, the venue which would play host to about 800 guests on Friday, has been scrubbed clean and carpeted again. Though the plan to refurbish the Central Hall was finalised last year, it has been expedited for the function. The biggest challenge was re-carpeting the Central Hall and cleaning the pillars and floor — a technique used exclusively for conserving heritage building helped in cleaning the pillars and floor. The sound system has been changed with better microphones and headsets being provided on seats.

Outside the CentralHall, the galleries are being cleaned and paintings touched up inside Parliament. The entire building and pillars have been studded with LED bulbs to be lit up on the day of the grand function. “The refurbishing work has been expedited to be ready for the function,” said a parliamentary affairs ministry official.

The government’s decision to hold a midnight sitting in Parliament made the secretariats scramble for the rulebook. It was only after some consultations both secretary generals told the parliamentary affairs ministry that only logistical support could be provided and it would have to be the ministry’s function.

“This function had no precedent. It is really a government function to mark a tax rollout. It has nothing to do with parliamentarians or Parliament. So we had to refuse lest the Opposition should raise objections on points of propriety,” said a senior official.

No secretariat official attended the dress rehearsal conducted on June 28 by the Ministry.

Source: Times of India