New Delhi, Aug 3 (IANS) Union Minister of State for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal on Sunday inaugurated a 500 KW rooftop solar power plant along with the National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA) at the Delhi Assembly.

Meghwal described the new provisions as milestones in environmental sustainability and digital governance, making the Delhi Assembly the first legislature in the country to run entirely on solar energy.

He stated that the Delhi Assembly’s complete transition to solar energy sets a benchmark for legislative and public institutions nationwide.

Meghwal credited the remarkable progress to the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and praised Delhi’s legislature for embodying this transformation, where sustainability, self-reliance, and digital empowerment go hand in hand.

The MoS said the launch of NeVA at the Delhi Assembly under the ‘One Nation, One Application’ initiative of Digital India 2.0 signifies not just an infrastructure upgrade, but a shift in institutional values.

With full implementation expected in the Monsoon Session starting on Monday, the Delhi Assembly will transition to completely paperless operations.

He affirmed that this fusion of climate responsibility and administrative reform must begin at the heart of democratic institutions.

He also assured that the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs will provide all possible assistance to the efforts and initiatives of the Delhi Legislative Assembly in this regard.

Speaker Vijender Gupta, while addressing the gathering, emphasised that the solar plant at the Assembly is a cornerstone in a broader institutional shift towards sustainable and digital transformation.

Gupta added, “The successful commissioning of the solar plant marks a new chapter in our commitment to cleaner energy and public responsibility. We are proud to lead by example and demonstrate how legislative institutions can champion environmental stewardship.”

He informed that the present Assembly building was constructed in 1912 and was home to the country’s first Parliament — Desh ki pehli Sansad yahan thi.

The event was also attended by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Deputy Speaker Mohan Singh Bisht, Minister of Public Works Department Parvesh Verma and Minister of Power Ashish Sood.

The Assembly’s solar initiative is projected to yield savings of up to Rs 15 lakh per month — approximately Rs 1.75 crore annually — and is expected to swiftly recover its cost, while also potentially generating surplus electricity through net metering.

The integration of the E-Vidhan platform further advances the Assembly’s digital transformation by enabling a paperless legislative process, thereby promoting administrative efficiency and significantly reducing the institution’s carbon footprint, the Speaker said.

–IANS

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