Experts and MPs set to participate in a 3-day session in Jammu
Official communication dispatched to the Parliamentary Affairs Ministry
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Jan 3: A three-day orientation program for the newly elected MLAs of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly is slated for January 9-11 in Jammu, featuring participation from experts of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, alongside seasoned Parliamentarians. A significant focus will be on the National e-Vidhan Project (NeVA), which is designed to transition the Legislature to a paperless framework.
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The House comprises 88 legislators, including 51 newly elected MLAs out of a total of 90 in the Union Territory.
Sources have informed the Excelsior that Legislative Assembly Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather has engaged with senior Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha experts, sending out invitations through the Assembly’s Secretariat for them to participate in the orientation program. Additionally, several Members of Parliament from various political parties have been requested to deliver lectures tailored for the new MLAs.
“Both the experts and the MPs have consented to visit Jammu to engage with the MLAs,” the sources indicated, mentioning the program has been scheduled over three days from January 9-11.
The Assembly Secretariat has reached out to the Secretary of the Government of India, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, to assign resource personnel for this initiative.
The NeVA project aims to foster digitization and create a paperless Legislature, aligning with the Digital India Initiative led by the Union Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs.
Numerous legislative bodies across India have already adopted paperless operations, and the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly is also looking to implement this project. It is noteworthy that there was a hiatus in legislature activities from mid-2018 until the Assembly elections took place in September-October 2024, with the House reconvening for its first session from November 4-8.
“The successful implementation of Project NeVA is critical for facilitating a transparent, efficient, and technologically advanced legislative process in both the Legislative Assembly complexes in Jammu and Srinagar. A training/introductory session is essential, necessitating the appointment of an expert Resource Person,” stated the Legislative Assembly communiqué addressed to the Secretary of the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs.
The document highlighted the keen interest of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Assembly Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather in advancing Project NeVA within the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly as soon as possible.
In addition to Project NeVA, the orientation course aims to equip newly elected MLAs with insights into the Legislature’s operations, including how to engage in legislative business such as raising questions, addressing public issues, and processing bills and resolutions. A specific focus will be placed on the 51 new MLAs from diverse political backgrounds within the Legislature.
This orientation course precedes the budget session of the Legislature, which is scheduled for mid-February.
Among the newly elected MLAs, there are 24 first-time representatives from the National Conference, 15 from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), six Independents, three from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), two from Congress, and one from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
In 2015, a similar training session was conducted by the then Chief Minister, late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, for newly elected MLAs, during which Abdul Rahim Rather, currently the Legislative Assembly Speaker, was invited to educate newcomers on the Rules and Procedures of the House.
Sources assert that it is essential for the new MLAs to be well-versed in the workings of the Legislative Assembly. Many states conduct analogous sessions for first-time MLAs, orienting them with the Rules and Procedures so that the Speaker or Chairperson does not need to repeatedly instruct them.
Experts have praised the initiative to hold training sessions for new MLAs as a commendable decision, emphasizing that it will benefit legislators by allowing them to learn from experts and enhance their performance in the House.
The National Conference (NC), having emerged as the largest party in the elections with 41 seats, accounts for the greatest number of debutant MLAs at 24.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), victorious in the Jammu region with 29 seats, ranks second in both total seats and the count of first-time MLAs, numbering 15, more than half of its total.
The Congress party has two debutant MLAs, while six out of seven Independent victors are new members of the Assembly. All three elected representatives from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the single Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA are also newcomers to the Assembly.
