New Delhi, April 23 (IANS) Krishna Nagar MLA Anil Goyal was on Thursday declared the winner of “Annual Award for Best Legislator” of the Eighth Legislative Assembly, an official said.​

For his outstanding contributions to the House, Goyal will be presented with an official citation, a memento, and a cash prize of Rs. 51,000. He will be formally conferred with the award at an upcoming felicitation ceremony, the official said in a statement.​

Speaker Vijender Gupta said, “The primary objective of the ‘Annual Award for the Best MLAs’ is to recognise lawmakers who uphold the highest standards of integrity, innovation, and dedication, thereby setting a benchmark for their peers.”​

Goyal was selected as the winner by a high-powered Selection Committee during a meeting held at the Vidhan Sabha, marking the successful restoration of a parliamentary tradition aimed at fostering high standards of governance in the Eighth Legislative Assembly.​

Marking a significant milestone for the Eighth Legislative Assembly, this prestigious honour returns to the Vidhan Sabha after a long 18-year hiatus, signalling a renewed commitment to recognising parliamentary merit, said an official statement.​

Speaker Gupta said that by celebrating legislators who contribute to meaningful debates, raise critical issues within the Assembly, and engage constructively with citizens, the Delhi Assembly seeks to inspire higher standards of governance and bolster public trust in the democratic process.​

The selection was conducted by an eminent panel chaired on Thursday at Delhi Vidhan Sabha by Speaker Vijender Gupta, and featured a distinguished jury including Rajendra Aggarwal (Former MP, Lok Sabha), P.D.T. Acharya (Former Secretary General, Lok Sabha), Reetesh Singh (Principal Secretary of Law, Justice and Legislative Affairs), Mahesh K. Shukla (Senior Journalist), and Ranjeet Singh (Secretary, LA).​

The selection of the “Best MLA Award” is governed by a comprehensive and transparent scoring system designed to evaluate every aspect of a legislator’s performance.​

The total evaluation is conducted on a scale of 100 points, split between 65 points calculated automatically from official Assembly records and 35 points awarded based on the Selection Committee’s qualitative assessment.​

The most significant portion of the assessment, worth 50 points, focuses on the Member’s contribution to enriching House debates, said the statement.​

Within this category, 20 points are reserved for the quality of debates, where the committee evaluates the MLA’s debating skills, awareness of national and local issues, and proficiency in language.​

To ensure consistent participation, another 15 points are awarded based on House attendance across all sittings, while the final 15 points are auto-calculated based on legislative contributions.​

A legislator’s effectiveness is measured by his or her activity within various House Committees, which accounts for 30 points of the total score, said the statement.​

The final 20 points of the evaluation are dedicated to compliance, conduct, and modernisation. A total of 12 points is awarded for adherence to the Chair. Additionally, 8 points are specifically allocated for NeVA adoption, recognising legislators who have transitioned to paperless operations using the digital system​

–IANS

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