New Delhi [India], July 17 : In a significant step towards realising Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of "One Nation, One Application" under the Digital India Programme, the Maharashtra Legislature has expressed its commitment to adopt the National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA).
As per the release, a meeting was held at Vidhan Bhawan, Mumbai, on July 16 among the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, Government of India, the Department of Parliamentary Affairs, Government of Maharashtra and Maharashtra Legislature Secretariat for the implementation of the NeVA Project in the Maharashtra Legislature.
The meeting was attended by Satya Prakash, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and Mission Leader, NeVA. The Maharashtra Legislature was represented by Jitendra Bhole, Secretary-I, and Sudarshan Sathey, Secretary-IV. Supriya Dhivre, Secretary, Department of Parliamentary Affairs, Government of Maharashtra and Pandit Khedkar, Private Secretary to the Chairman, and other senior officers were also present.
The meeting was concluded with a consensus to expedite the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) among the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, Government of India, the Maharashtra Legislature Secretariat, and the Department of Parliamentary Affairs, Government of Maharashtra, paving the way for the early implementation of the project in the State.
The discussions reflected the commitment of the Government of Maharashtra and the Maharashtra Legislature, under the guidance of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Speaker, Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Rahul Narwekar, and Chairman, Maharashtra Legislative Council Ram Shinde, to establish a paperless, transparent, efficient and citizen-centric Legislature through NeVA.
During the meeting, detailed deliberations were held on the implementation roadmap for NeVA, covering software features and workflow, technical infrastructure, institutional preparedness, financial assistance under the project, capacity building, implementation timelines, and the roles and responsibilities of the participating agencies. Various queries relating to software functionality, project implementation, the funding pattern, technical support, training requirements and other operational aspects were discussed and clarified by Satya Prakash, Additional Secretary and Mission Leader, NeVA. The discussions were constructive and fruitful, and the Maharashtra Legislature agreed to prioritise the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
The National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA) is a Mission Mode Project of the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, Government of India, under the Digital India Programme, aimed at digitalising all 37 State and Union Territory Legislatures through a unified digital platform for conducting legislative business. Approved with a total outlay of Rs 673.94 crore, the project enables the Members to access legislative business electronically, thereby promoting paperless, transparent and efficient legislative functioning.
The project includes a provision for the implementation of NeVA in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly and Maharashtra Legislative Council, including their locations at Mumbai and Nagpur, with an estimated cost of approximately Rs 48 crore. The implementation of the project will enable the Members to discharge their legislative responsibilities more efficiently while providing citizens with easier access to legislative business and proceedings, thereby enhancing transparency, strengthening public participation and contributing to a digitally empowered legislative ecosystem.
So far, 33 State and Union Territory Legislatures have signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, and 21 Legislatures have already transitioned into fully Digital Houses.
The adoption of NeVA by the Maharashtra Legislature will mark another important milestone in the nationwide expansion of the project and further strengthen the country's digital legislative ecosystem.