Chandigarh 11 March 2025:
Taking another leap in the field of Digitalization, Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker S. Kultar Singh Sandhwan today launched the searchable engine for accessing Punjab Legislative Assembly debates in the presence of Aman Arora, Good Governance and Information Technology Minister, Harbhajan Singh, Power Minister, Dr. Ravjot Singh, Parliamentary Affairs Minister and MLA Gurinder Singh Garry Birring.
Speaker Sandhwan said that now it would be easier to research any topic and find any fact from the debates/proceedings of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha since 1947 to till date through this searchable engine. In addition, he added that this searchable engine has been developed in collaboration with Punjabi University Patiala, IIIT Hyderabad and CDAC Noida. For implementing this project, Dr. Gurpreet Lehal, Professor and Consultant, IIIT Hyderabad and his entire team has provided special support and worked tirelessly to complete this project.
He highlighted that the Punjab Vidhan Sabha has become the first among other Vidhan Sabhas of the country with the launch of these projects. A complete solution has been prepared for the convenience of MLAs and therefore, regular training will also be imparted to MLAs and other departments.
Sandhwan emphasized that concrete efforts have been made to modernize and to make Punjab Vidhan Sabha high-tech after the formation of Aam Aadmi Party Government in Punjab. He also informed that currently the sessions of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha are being run paperless through the Neva portal.
Furthermore, he said that for the first time, all sessions of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha are being broadcast live on YouTube and social media channels of the Punjab Government. Apart from this, an automation system is also being implemented in the library of Punjab Vidhan Sabha. Even though the committee rooms and branches of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha have been digitized.
Giving more details, he added that software being run by the Punjab Government including e-Office and HRMS has also been fully implemented in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha and these efforts will continue to be made to digitalise in future also.
Meanwhile, Speaker viewed e-gallery pass and paperless internal working of House Committees, Constituency e-Management developed under MLAs e-Connect by NIC Punjab Unit and inaugurated digital Compendium of Honorable Members.
On this occasion, Vikas Pratap, Additional Chief Secretary, Vijay Namdeorao Zade, Secretary Expenditure, Dilraj Singh, Secretary, Parliamentary Affairs, Girish Dayalan, Director, Governance Reforms, Vijay Kumar Chopra, Chief Engineer, Manoj Aggarwal, NIXI, New Delhi, Vivek Verma, State Informatics Officer, NIC and other officers of Punjab and Chandigarh Administration were also present.
