Assam Legislative Assembly (ALA) Going Digital

GUWAHATI: The Assam Legislative Assembly (ALA) is on way to be a paperless House with the introduction of the National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA). State Assembly Speaker Hitendra Nath Goswami expects that the process of the e-Vidhan initiative started now is going to take its full shape in the Assembly to be formed in 2021 in the State.

e-Vidhan is a Mission Mode Project (MMP) of the Union Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs (MPA) to digitize and make the functioning of State legislatures paperless. This is part of Narendra Modi government’s Digital India.

Talking to the media in Guwahati on Monday, Goswami said: “This initiative under the MPA is going to make all Assembly debates, questions and answers, Bills, Rules etc available just a click of the mouse away for people. Since Assemblies are not easily accessible for each and every person, this move is going to make people more aware of House proceedings and other information, thereby strengthening democracy. This is also going to make Assemblies more accountable to people than ever before.”

Goswami said: “e-Vidhan is already in practice in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Sikkim Assemblies. The move we’ve taken up now is going to take its full shape in the 2021 Assembly in the State.”

Goswami further said: “The first workshop of digitization for officers and officials was held on Monday. Apart from MPA experts, experts from the NIC (National Information Centre) were also present at the training. We need a team of technical experts to make digitized Assembly a reality. The Government of India has already allocated Rs 744 crore for 40 Assemblies, besides the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.”

When asked on the fate of old records, Goswami said: “All important old records will be preserved.”

The NeVA, Goswami said, is user-friendly and easy to use for a layman. Mobile App is the core strength of NeVA Application. NeVA is not a website but a web-flow based App.

Earlier inaugurating the workshop, Goswami said: “Digitalization of House proceedings will also make everything transparent, which in turn will have a significant impact on ensuring better governance. At the same time it will also contribute towards better performance of the legislators”

He also asked all officers and employees of the Assam Legislative Assembly Secretariat to train themselves on the proper and effective use of e-Vidhan.

Making a presentation, Arpit Tyagi of the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs said: “Every year over two lakh questions are asked in the two Houses of Parliament and the 38 Assemblies across the country, apart from laying of about 2,000 Committee reports and another about one lakh papers. Once Project NeVA becomes fully implemented across the country it will be a huge and authentic pool of knowledge and information not only for the Members, but also for research scholars, educational institutions, media and the citizens.”

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