New Delhi, Jun 29 (IANS): The Monsoon session of Parliament is likely to commence on its usual timing this year with signals coming from the government to hold the session in the third week of July, sources said.

It is expected that the session might be held from July 19 to August 13 with all Covid-related protocols.

The nearly month-long session is likely to have around 20 sittings, sources said.

The Monsoon session of Parliament usually commences in the third week of July and concludes ahead of Independence day.

However, the final date will be officially declared after the Cabinet Committees on Parliamentary Affairs (CCPA) meeting which will be chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The CCPA meeting is slated to be held after Rajnath Singh returns from his three-day Ladakh visit. Modalities of holding this year's Monsoon session are still being discussed.

Earlier, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi had said the government may hold the Monsoon session as per its normal schedule in July.

Since the pandemic began, three sessions of Parliament -- Budget, Monsoon and Winter Session -- were curtailed and the Winter Session last year had to be cancelled. Last year, the Monsoon session, which usually starts in July, had begun in September.

The authorities are confident of holding Monsoon session in July this year as most of the parliamentarians, staff members of both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha secretariats and other stakeholders have received at least one dose of coronavirus vaccine.