Delhi Assembly session begins today, set to be a stormy affair

The Delhi Assembly is all set to enter a new era of legislative functioning with the commencement of its first-ever fully paperless session from Monday, August 4.

The five-day monsoon session, scheduled to run until August 8, will not only mark a technological milestone but is also expected to be a politically charged affair.

Several contentious issues are expected to dominate the proceedings, with the Opposition gearing up for fierce debates.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta is likely to table two key Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) reports - one on state finances for the financial year 2023-24, and another on the Welfare of Building and Other Construction Workers for the year ending March 31, 2023.

A major legislative highlight will be the introduction of the Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Bill, 2025. Announced by the Chief Minister on Saturday, the proposed law seeks to address longstanding concerns over arbitrary fee hike by private schools - a matter that has sparked widespread protests from parents and civil society groups in recent months.

However, the Opposition AAP has already voiced strong objections. AAP Delhi state president Saurabh Bharadwaj called the Bill a “bonanza for private schools” and a “direct assault on parents”.

“While schools hiked fee by up to 82 per cent this April, the BJP has brought in a law that empowers school managements, silences parents and legalises fee exploitation - all while scraping audits, throttling complaints and handing over control to school-nominated committees,” Bharadwaj said.

He accused the government of aiding the “education mafia” and demanded clarity on how fee hike would be rolled back and why existing audit mechanisms were dismantled.

Amid this looming political showdown, the Assembly is also celebrating a historic sustainability milestone - becoming the first legislature in the country to operate entirely on solar power.

On Sunday, Union Minister of State for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal formally inaugurated a 500 kW rooftop solar plant, along with the National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA) platform, on the Assembly complex.

The solar project is expected to save the government up to Rs 15 lakh per month - around Rs 1.75 crore annually - and could generate surplus power through net metering.

The integration of NeVA will further streamline legislative work by enabling a completely paperless process, enhancing both administrative efficiency and environmental sustainability.

“Delhi Assembly’s complete transition to solar energy sets a benchmark for legislative and public institutions nationwide,” Meghwal said, adding that such initiatives represent the fusion of climate responsibility with institutional reform. He also assured full support from the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs for the Assembly’s digital transformation.