New Delhi, Feb 12 (IANS): Proceedings of the Lok Sabha on the last day of the first phase of Budget Session will be held from 10 a.m. on Saturday, instead of 4 p.m. as usual during this session due to the Covid-19 crisis.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla made the announcement on Friday after the completion of the Question Hour. The decision is learnt to have taken after the request of all parliamentarians.

From the beginning of this Budget Session, the Lok Sabha proceedings were being held from 4 p.m., excluding President's address to the joint sitting of Parliament on January 29 and February 1 when the Union Budget 2021-2022 was presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

Earlier this month, the first phase of the Budget Session was shortened two days. As per the order, the sittings of both the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha were reduced to February 13 (Saturday) in lieu of February 15, the earlier slated time.

As per that order, there will be no question hour on February 13.

The Budget Session is being held in two parts this year due to Covid-19 pandemic. The first part of the Budget Session for both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha was scheduled to conclude on February 15 while the second part will commence on March 8 and is expected to end on April 8.

As per the initial schedule, the Rajya Sabha sitting was arranged from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. while the Lok Sabha's proceeding time was scheduled from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.