The Delhi Legislative Assembly has achieved remarkable environmental and financial savings by fully embracing digital technology, marking a significant leap towards a paperless future. Official data reveals that the adoption of the National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA) has drastically reduced paper consumption and associated costs in just one legislative session.
Substantial Environmental Gains from Going Digital
The transition to the NeVA platform has delivered a powerful positive impact on the environment. According to figures released by the assembly secretariat, the move helped avoid the use of a staggering 3.38 lakh pages of paper in a single session. This conservation effort translates directly to saving approximately 41 trees and preventing the use of nearly 1,690.44 metric tonnes of paper.
Furthermore, the reduction in paper production and printing activities has led to an estimated decrease of 4 to 4.5 metric tonnes in carbon emissions. Highlighting this achievement, Speaker Vijender Gupta emphasized that the initiative reduces pressure on the natural resources required for paper manufacturing and significantly cuts down on waste generation.
Drastic Reduction in Administrative and Printing Costs
The financial benefits of the digital shift are equally impressive. Before the implementation of NeVA, the assembly's functioning was heavily reliant on printed documents. Essential materials like lists of business, questions, bills, amendments, committee reports, and daily agendas were circulated in large volumes among members and officials.
This traditional process incurred high recurring costs. Data shows the assembly previously spent around Rs 1.69 crore per session solely on printing-related work. With legislators now accessing all documents digitally through secure devices provided under NeVA, printing has been minimized to only absolutely unavoidable requirements.
As a direct result, the printing expenditure has seen a sharp decline, now standing at just about Rs 50,000 per session. This represents a massive saving of roughly Rs 1.64 crore per session.
Enhanced Efficiency and Real-Time Access for Legislators
Beyond savings, the NeVA platform has streamlined legislative workflow and improved transparency. Speaker Gupta noted that the digital system enables real-time access to all legislative documents. Members can now digitally submit questions, access notices, track live proceedings, and retrieve records instantly.
This seamless access eliminates previous delays and reduces duplication of work. Additionally, legislative information is uploaded to the platform faster, which improves public access and fosters greater transparency in the democratic process. The move represents a core part of India's broader Digital Governance mission, setting a benchmark for other state assemblies to follow.
