Fellows to assist Delhi MLAS soon
NEW DELHI: In a first, Delhi Assembly will introduce a fellowship programme where young people will assist legislators in their respective constituencies and also conduct research work in various sectors of governance.
The legislative assembly on Monday said that a‘delhi Assembly Research Centre’ (DARC) would be set up and would engage 50 fellows and 90 associate fellows for a period of one year. The programme would commence from April 1 this year and the applications will be accepted from Tuesday until February 25.
Application forms can be filled online at www.darc.dtu.ac.in, the Assembly Secretariat said in a statement.
While the fellows will get a consolidated stipend of ₹1 lakh per month, the associate fellows would receive ₹60,000 monthly. The fellowship will also be extendable by another year based on the performance of the fellows and associate fellows,” the statement read.
The move comes after Aam Aadmi Party MLA Somnath Bharti, in December last year had told the House that legislators found it difficult to discharge their duties efficiently in the absence of any facility to do research and field work related to legislative affairs. Responding to the concern flagged by the Malviya Nagar MLA, Speaker Ram Niwas Goel had ordered a General Purpose Committee (GPC)TO submit its report on the issue, following which the Assembly made the announcement on Monday.
MLA Somnath Bharti said DARC would create a repository of valuable research and reference material to be used by lawmakers and other stakeholders. “We have to be in direct touch with people and hence sound knowledge about various issues is very essential. At present, forget about an intern working for us or having access to a research wing, we do not even have a stenographer. The latest announcement will definitely increase the productivity of MLAS,” he said.
“The programme is open to those aged between 21 and 35. Of the 50 fellows, 15 will work in fields such as legislative practices, power and water sector reforms, urban planning, transport and traffic management, finance and taxation, environment, law and public safety and so on. The remaining 35 fellows will get to work in two assembly constituencies each,” said an Assembly Secretariat official.
Out of the 90 associate fellows, 70 would be assigned to one MLA each. The associate fellow would assist their respective MLA with constituency related matters.