Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Legislative Assembly marked a historic milestone today with the inauguration of the ‘Digital House’ within its premises.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, in the presence of Speaker Surama Padhi, officially launched the initiative under the National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA).
Speaking at the event, the Chief Minister emphasized that this transformation represents a significant step towards a digital future for the Assembly. From today, the House will be recognized as the ‘NeVA Digital House’, with all proceedings available digitally. He expressed his pride in this achievement, highlighting how the initiative will enable all members to access real-time data on their mobile phones and other digital devices. Any information related to House proceedings will now be instantly available, ensuring greater efficiency and transparency.
Calling it a “revolutionary change,” the Chief Minister stated that the move enhances the Assembly’s prestige as a paperless institution.
He credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership for driving digital transformation across India through flagship initiatives like ‘Digital India’ and ‘Go Green.’
He also referenced the Prime Minister’s recent role as co-chair at the Artificial Intelligence Summit in France, where he advocated for the global application of AI for the welfare of India and the world.
The National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA) is one of the 44 mission-mode projects implemented by the Government of India. Apart from the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, 16 state legislative assemblies have adopted NeVA, including Odisha, Gujarat, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Bihar Council, Nagaland, Uttar Pradesh (both Houses), Haryana, Mizoram, Manipur, Meghalaya, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, and Sikkim.
With this initiative, Odisha has become one of the first state assemblies in India to fully digitize legislative processes through NeVA.
The implementation of NeVA software has significantly reduced paper usage, earning the Assembly the prestigious CSI e-Governance Award of Excellence (Gold).
While NeVA was partially introduced in 2021, it is now fully operational, making Odisha’s Assembly a model of digital governance.
Key Features of NeVA Digital House
The NeVA system introduces multiple digital solutions to enhance legislative efficiency, including:
- e-Book: Digital records of House proceedings
- Governor’s Address: Access to addresses and key speeches
- Digital Display Systems: House agendas and question lists displayed digitally
- e-Voting & e-Attendance: Digital voting and real-time attendance tracking
- House Productivity Reports & Speaker Time Management: Enhanced monitoring of legislative productivity
- Minister Pads & Speaker Pads: Digital communication platforms for seamless interaction
- Dynamic Event Notifications & Circulars: Instant updates for members
- Note Exchange System: Digital communication between ministers and administrative secretaries during sessions
During the event, Speaker Surama Padhi called it a “memorable day” for the Odisha Legislative Assembly, emphasizing that NeVA will make proceedings paperless, faster, and more efficient. The system will facilitate e-laying of documents, real-time communication between officials, digital agenda management, and structured discussions.
The inauguration was attended by Deputy Chief Minister, Cabinet Ministers, MLAs, Secretary of the Union Parliamentary Affairs Ministry Umang Narula, Additional Chief Secretary of General Administration and Public Grievance Department Surendra Kumar, Principal Secretary of Energy, Electronics & IT Departments Vishal Dev, NeVA Chief from New Delhi Sanjeev, and Assembly Secretary Satyabrata Rout.
With the full implementation of NeVA, Odisha’s Legislative Assembly is now set to operate as a modern, paperless, and digitally empowered institution, ensuring greater transparency, accessibility, and efficiency in governance.
