Delhi Assembly to install 500 kVA solar capacity, will save Rs 15 lakh per month: Speaker

The Delhi Assembly aims to install solar panels with a total capacity of 500 kVA within the next 100 days, a move expected to save Rs 15 lakh per month on electricity bills, Speaker Vijender Gupta announced on Thursday.

Speaking at a press conference a day after the conclusion of the budget session, Gupta emphasised that the Assembly’s solar energy initiative would encourage the public to adopt renewable energy and achieve zero electricity bills.

In addition, he revealed that the Assembly is working towards becoming paperless before the monsoon session as part of the National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA) project. To facilitate this transition, a media desk will be set up, equipped with 25 computers, internet access, and printers.

Reflecting on the Assembly’s progress under the new government, Gupta noted that two sessions had already been held within 40 days. The seven-day budget session, which ran for a record 27.56 hours, saw extensive discussions. The budget, tabled on 25 March, was debated for over seven hours by 36 members, including those from the Opposition AAP.

The only calling attention motion accepted during the session was from the Opposition and focused on power cuts. However, Gupta expressed surprise that despite being on the Assembly premises, the Opposition did not participate in the discussion.

“I want to ask the Opposition why they failed to attend the debate on their own motion while falsely claiming they were prevented from speaking on power cuts,” he said, adding that the matter would be addressed in the next session.

Gupta also asserted that politically motivated disruptions were “sternly” dealt with during the budget session. For the first time, a full day was dedicated to private members’ resolutions, and a record 78 issues were raised under the special mention rule.

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Additionally, eight reports from the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) on the previous Delhi government’s performance were tabled, though the Opposition chose not to engage in the discussions.

A resolution under Rule 107 was passed, disposing of over 300 pending matters carried forward from the previous Assembly to the newly constituted eighth Assembly.

The session also marked another milestone with the celebration of the Hindu New Year in the Assembly for the first time, Gupta noted.