Jammu, March 28 Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly Speaker, Abdul Rahim Rather, on Saturday, chaired the High-Level Apex Committee (HLAC) meeting here to review and expedite the implementation of the National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA) project in the Union Territory.
The meeting was attended by MLAs Justice (Retd) Hasnain Masoodi, Nizamuddin Bhat, Tanvir Sadiq, Arjun Singh Raju, Sunil Bhardwaj, Waheed ur Rehman Para, Bharat Bhushan and Secretary of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, Manoj Kumar Pandita, an official spokesperson said.
During the meeting, the Speaker emphasized the importance of timely completion and integration of the NeVA project to modernize the legislative processes and ensure a paperless functioning of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly.
He directed the concerned officers to expedite the remaining tasks, such as procurement of hardware and other necessary network equipment for both Assembly Complexes in Srinagar and Jammu.
Rather urged all departments to maintain coordination while executing the project and keep the HLAC updated on the progress achieved.
He underlined that the primary aim of the project is to modernize the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly by making its operations completely paperless and digital.
Meanwhile, the Speaker announced a special training session for legislators on conducting and participating in Question Hour in the Assembly, to be held in Srinagar in the coming months.
Rather made the announcement after BJP MLA Balwant Singh Mankotia raised a Point of Order regarding the length of questions raised during the Question Hour in the legislative assembly.
The speaker emphasized the need for concise questions, stating that the length should not exceed 150 words to save the House's precious time.
Rather, while citing Rule 38 Condition 7, stressed that MLAs' questions should be brief and within the 150-word limit.
The Speaker observed that most questions were lengthy and violated the rules, but had been allowed using his special powers to admit most questions.
He sought cooperation from members to avoid lengthy questions, warning that such questions would be rejected in future to save time.
He suggested a workshop or seminar by experts on the rules to make MLAs more aware of the prescribed guidelines in Srinagar.
