Himachal Pradesh, a pioneer in legislative digitization, is all set to adopt the National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA) during the upcoming Assembly session. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu will officially launch NeVA on December 18 at 11:00 AM, marking a transition from the state’s existing e-Vidhan system to a unified national platform.
Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Pathania highlighted Himachal Pradesh’s groundbreaking role in introducing the e-Vidhan Sabha system during the tenure of former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and then-Speaker Brij Bihari Lal Butail. Himachal Pradesh became the first state in the country to implement the e-Vidhan system, which was later adopted nationwide as a model for legislative digitization.
“The Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs now wants to unify the proceedings of all legislative bodies, including Vidhan Sabhas, Lok Sabha, and Rajya Sabha, under one platform,” said Pathania. The National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA) 2.0 will make legislative discussions and proceedings accessible to the public through a single application.
Pathania added that NeVA will bring Assembly proceedings to citizens’ fingertips. Any person, sitting at home, will be able to access information on the discussions held in the House, the questions raised by members, and the responses provided.
Himachal Pradesh has been allocated a budget of ₹8 crore by the central government for the implementation of NeVA. Pathania acknowledged that while the e-Vidhan model was Himachal’s own creation, adapting to NeVA will require a complete overhaul of the current system. “There are still some shortcomings in the new platform, as pointed out by officials from the central ministry and Lok Sabha, but these will be addressed,” he said.
The transition to NeVA represents a significant step in enhancing transparency and accessibility in legislative proceedings. Himachal Pradesh, once again, is leading the way in e-governance reforms, solidifying its position as a forerunner in digitized legislative practices.
