BENGALURU: Come July, the state legislature will go paperless with MLAs and MLCs set to use biometric-enabled iPads equipped with a unique inbuilt application during the monsoon session. This will help avoid bundles of papers, including bills, given to the legislators. Last month, the Legislative Assembly and Council signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA) project to implement this digital initiative.
Assembly Speaker UT Khader told The New Indian Express that the initiative has been estimated at Rs 60 crore. The state government’s share will be 40% (around Rs 24 crore) of the cost. “We want to digitise both the Houses. All papers, including agenda, starred and unstarred questions and answers and bills, given to the legislators will be sent via e format which they can access easily.
The system will have inbuilt software and it will be user-friendly,” he said. According to Khader, this initiative is expected to reduce various expenses being incurred now. Also, the question of losing papers will not arise. “All legislators will be trained in using the system. It would not be difficult to use as most legislators are smartphone users,’’ he said.
Khader said the legislators are allowed to use their phones in the House to browse data or various people-centric issues. “I have asked the officials to remove the jammers to facilitate smooth use of the new system,” he added. This proposal was placed in the House when Vishveshwara Hegde Kageri was its Speaker. There was a debate whether Karnataka should adopt the Centre’s NeVA or have its own software. But now, the House is all set to implement the initiative.
