The West Bengal Assembly is set to transition to paperless operations, as announced by Speaker Rathindra Bose. A special training session will be conducted for first-time legislators to familiarize them with the Assembly proceedings. With the recent signing of a memorandum of understanding for the National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA) scheme, the Assembly’s operations will now be entirely digital and paperless.
The Speaker emphasized that the shift to a paperless system will enhance transparency by making information directly accessible to everyone. He highlighted the benefits of this initiative during a press conference, stating that it will be advantageous for all stakeholders. Additionally, he mentioned that approximately 200 out of the 294 current legislators in the West Bengal Assembly are first-time members.
In preparation for the transition, a special training session will be organized for the first-time legislators. Scheduled to take place after the Budget Session starting from June 18, the training will help these members acclimate to the Assembly proceedings. Notably, the Lok Sabha Speaker, along with the Speakers of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, will be present to provide the training.
Following the MoU signing for the NeVA service in West Bengal, concerns were raised about the previous government’s reluctance to adopt the system. Suvendu Adhikari highlighted the lack of electronic voting and live-streaming facilities in the Assembly under the previous administration. However, moving forward, important sessions, including the Budget Session, will be live-streamed for increased transparency and accessibility.
