Odisha Assembly set to go paperless with implementation of 'e-Vidhan' project

The Odisha LegislativeAssembly is all set to go paperless with the implementation ofthe 'e-Vidhan project' from the upcoming budget sessionstarting on February 18, an official said on Thursday.

Speaker S N Patro held a review meeting with thegovernment officials during the day before adoption of theelectronic process, he said.

''From the governor's address to the budgetpresentation, questions and the proceedings of the Assemblywill be through National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA),'' Patrosaid.

The state budget for 2021-22 will be presented in theAssembly on February 22.

NeVA aims at bringing all the legislatures of thecountry on a single platform, creating a massive datadepository.

Paperless Assembly or e-Assembly is a conceptinvolving the use of electronic devices to facilitateproceedings in the House, the official said. It enablesautomation of the entire law-making process, tracking ofdocuments and sharing of information.

Assembly secretary Dasarathi Satapathy made apresentation on the 'e-Vidhan' initiative during the meeting.

Finance secretary A K Meena and electronics and informationtechnology department secretary Manoj Kumar Mishra were alsopresent there.

With the adoption of the new process, the stategovernment will be able to reduce its expenditure, the Speakersaid.

A technical team of NeVA will be present in the Houseduring the budget session, the official said.

Patro has convened an all-party meeting on February17, a day before the beginning of the budget session, headded.

Union Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs is the 'nodalministry for the implementation of 'e-Vidhan'.

A memorandum of understanding for the implementationof NeVA has been signed with Bihar (Assembly and Council),Punjab, Odisha, Meghalaya, Manipur, Gujarat, ArunachalPradesh, Nagaland, Puducherry, Tripura.

NeVA project has been sanctioned for Punjab, Odisha,Bihar (both Assembly and Council) and Nagaland.