Delhi Assembly set for stormy start to five-day session
Union law minister Arjun Ram Meghwal on Sunday kicked off the Delhi Assembly's paperless initiative and inaugurated a solar power project on the premises, clearing the decks for a stormy five-day Monsoon Session from Monday, during which waterlogging woes, CAG audits and new bills are set to be tackled.
According to the official list of business, on the first day, the government is likely to introduce the Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Bill and table two Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India reports on the previous government's performance.
In the run-up to the session, Opposition Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government on the school fee bill, alleging it will lead to 'windfall gains for private schools.'
The Delhi Congress announced a march outside the Vidhan Sabha on the opening to protest demolition drives in slums and the alleged failure of the state government to start ₹2,500 monthly assistance to Delhi's women.
The session will also mark multiple firsts: Delhi's Assembly's first fully digital session and the assembly complex being run entirely on solar power.
Agenda: CAG, edu bill
The assembly proceedings will commence around 2pm on Monday, with the assembly tentatively likely to convene over five days, between August 4 and 8. The list of business issued by the assembly secretariat states that the assembly will begin with MLAs raising issues under Special Mention (Rule-280).
It will be followed by the chief minister Rekha Gupta tabling CAG reports on the 'state finances for the year 2023-24' and 'Welfare of building and other construction workers' for 2023.
CAG reports have been a major friction point between the AAP and the BJP, with the latter accusing the AAP of withholding CAG's findings. In previous assembly sessions, CAG reports on the performance of the previous AAP government related to health, liquor, transport and pollution, among others, have already been tabled.
On Monday, education minister Ashish Sood will also introduce 'The Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Bill, 2025' for discussion. Under the proposed law, the government plans to introduce major reforms in the city's school fee regulation regime, which will apply to all 1,677 private unaided schools in Delhi.
The bill also fixes factors for determining the fee, stiff penalties for non-compliance and a three-tier fee regulation structure involving committees at the school, district, and state levels, which will institutionalise parental participation in the process.
The move comes against the backdrop of widespread protests by parents across Delhi earlier this year, alleging arbitrary and excessive fee hikes by private schools. The AAP has slammed the bill, alleging it would benefit private schools.
'Until now, a single parent could file a complaint, but the new law will empower the education mafia to act with impunity,' AAP state president Saurabh Bharadwaj said.
Besides the bill, the assembly will also see the presentation of reports from the Business Advisory Committee and Rules Committee, and the annual accounts report of the power regulator DERC.
Paperless session
Union law minister Arjun Mehwal on Sunday inaugurated the integration of the E-Vidhan platform, which advances the assembly's digital transformation by enabling a paperless legislative process for administrative efficiency and reducing the institution's carbon footprint. Members, ministers and the chief minister also tried their hands on the new system a day ahead of the formal beginning of the session.
Meghwal said that the launch of the NeVA platform under the 'One Nation, One Application' initiative of Digital India 2.0 not only signifies an infrastructure upgrade, but a shift in institutional values.
'With full implementation expected in the upcoming Monsoon Session, the Delhi Assembly will transition to completely paperless operations. This fusion of climate responsibility and administrative reform must begin at the heart of democratic institutions,' he said.
Speaker Vijender Gupta said that the work of the E-Vidhan system was completed in just 100 days. 'A trial run of the new system is scheduled for 11am tomorrow, followed by a House sitting at 2pm, which will be held entirely on solar power without using electricity from conventional sources,' Gupta said.
The first trial on Sunday offered firsthand experience of the digital interface, which includes smart delegate units with microphones and voting panels, RFID access, multilingual support, real-time document access via iPads, and an automated audio-visual system with cameras.
Chief minister Rekha Gupta said that Delhi's capital legislature must lead the way in India's transition to sustainable and efficient governance. 'With the rollout of NeVA in the monsoon session, the Delhi Assembly is poised to offer a more transparent, accessible, and digitally empowered legislative experience,' she said.
Solar power
On Sunday, a 500 kW solar power plant was launched on the assembly premises, making the complex fully powered by solar energy. It is expected to help save ₹1.75 crore annually.
Mehwal said: 'Delhi Assembly's complete transition to solar energy has set a benchmark for legislative and public institutions nationwide.'
Speaker Gupta said that the building was constructed in 1912 and housed the country's first Parliament, due to which 'heritage and development will go hand in hand'.
'The financial savings would be reinvested in developmental work for the welfare of Delhi's people. By embracing both clean energy and digital workflows, the Delhi Assembly is contributing directly to India's net-zero targets and setting a national example of climate-conscious governance,' he said.
In a statement, the assembly secretariat said that the Delhi Assembly has become the first legislature in India to run entirely on renewable energy.
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