Visitors going to Parliament to watch proceedings during the Budget session will have to give their biometric impressions and photographs. They will be allowed to enter only if they have smart cards issued for entry, a Lok Sabha bulletin said. These are some of the new measures taken after the security breach during the winter session.

Though a member can now apply for five visitors a day, as against four earlier, on the day of the interim budget, only one visitor, preferably the spouse, will be permitted. Also, group passes and same day passes for the Visitors’ Galleries have been discontinued for security reasons.Earlier, paper passes used to be issued on the basis of an application signed by a Member of Parliament (MP).

“Members may avail of the online mode of application for issue of Gallery Passes at the Indian Parliament- Digital Sansad website i.e. https://sansad.in/ls and log in through the member’s login credentials, followed by clicking on ‘Gallery Pass’ as per the prescribed procedure and norms mentioned,” the bulletin said. Except on interim budget day, applications for visitor passes will have to be sent three days in advance for police verification.

MPs have been advised to insist that their guests/ visitors provide their correct addresses, contact numbers, a copy of their Aadhaar cards with the application form, for issue of public gallery passes.

Upon approval by the Lok Sabha/ Rajya Sabha Visitors’ Gallery, the visitor will receive a QR code on his/ her mobile phone. On the day of the scheduled visit, the visitor will present the QR code (hard copy to be arranged by visitor) at the respective Lok Sabha /Rajya Sabha counter at the South Utility Reception, along with the original Aadhaar card for spot verification.

After verification of credentials, the issuing authority at the Reception Counter will take a biometric impression and photograph of the visitor and issue a Smart Visitors’ Gallery Card. To access the Visitors’ Gallery, visitors will be required to tap the Smart Visitors’ Gallery Cards and submit their biometric impressions simultaneously at each Flap Barrier along the designated route.

Upon completion of the visit, the visitor has to tap the smart card at the exit point Flap Barrier to exit. The smart card must be handed over to the Security Officer deployed at the Exit Gate. “Failure to hand over the Smart Visitors’ Gallery Card upon completion of the visit will lead to blacklisting of the details of the visitor from the Visitors’ Management System of Parliament House Estate and such visitor(s) will be permanently debarred from entering the Parliament House precincts,” the bulletin said.

It also said gallery passes will be issued subject to the completion of necessary verification of character and antecedents through the local / state police. Passes will not be issued if verification is not received, or if it is received with adverse remarks. All visitors will be subjected to thorough security checks as per norms, it added.

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