Kashmir Impulse Desk
Jammu, Sep 1
Legislative business for the upcoming autumn session of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly will be processed through the National e-Vidhan Application, or NeVA, as the union territory moves towards paperless legislative functioning.
The session is scheduled to begin in Srinagar on September 21.
The NeVA platform is designed to manage legislative business digitally, including bills, questions, amendments, assurances, notices and related documents.
The system was partially introduced during the Assembly’s 2026 budget session, held in Jammu from February to April, when replies to cut motions were processed through the portal.
Assembly Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather had announced in January that NeVA would initially be introduced during the budget session and would be fully operational from the following session.
Two committees were constituted for implementation of the project, one headed by the Assembly secretary and an apex committee chaired by the Speaker.
Commissioner Secretary, Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Achal Sethi, has issued instructions to administrative departments for processing legislative business through the portal during the autumn session.
Departments have been directed to access their NeVA accounts daily and process bills, legislative proposals, amendments, replies to Assembly questions, assurances, notices and references through the system within prescribed timelines.
Officials have also been instructed to ensure that documents uploaded to the portal are complete, authenticated and correspond to approved versions.
Each department is to designate a nodal officer or NeVA coordinator, where one has not already been appointed, to coordinate with the Assembly Secretariat and the Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Department.
Departments have been asked to complete the necessary arrangements before the session begins and report technical problems to the Assembly Secretariat or designated technical support team.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha summoned the autumn session on August 12, scheduling it to begin in Srinagar at 10 am on September 21.
The Assembly Secretariat has asked legislators to submit notices for eight questions each — four starred and four unstarred – as well as one bill by August 25. Legislators have also been asked to submit two resolutions each by September 5, with the option of using the NeVA platform.
The provisional calendar of business and sittings has yet to be finalised. The source material says the session is expected to run for 10 to 12 days, with seven to eight sittings, although the schedule could be changed by the Business Advisory Committee.
The previous budget session ended on April 4.
The NeVA project for Jammu and Kashmir received financial approval from the central government in January 2025 and has an estimated cost of about Rs 16 crore.
The project is to be fully funded by the Centre for its first three years.
