UP lawmakers asked to buy ipads ahead of assembly session

LUCKNOW: Ahead of the budget session of the Uttar Pradesh assembly, the government has asked all MLAS to buy Apple ipads in a bid to present a paperless budget. The lawmakers will be reimbursed with ₹50,000 for making the purchase.

The UP budget session is scheduled to begin on February 18.

“The state government has asked the legislators to buy an Apple ipad before the budget session of the state legislature commencing on February 18, 2021. A sum of ₹50,000 will be reimbursed to them for buying the ipad,” finance minister Suresh Khanna said on Friday.

Khanna said that a centralised procurement and distribution of the device would have taken more time and hence a decision to allow the legislators to buy the Apple ipad, which was found most useful for them, was taken.

The state assembly would have had to buy 403 ipads for MLAS and an additional 100 ipads for MLCS.

He, however, did not divulge details of how the government planned to provide funds for the purpose.

The state government has proposed a special training session for the legislators between February 11 and 13 to enable them to learn the use of ipad.

“Besides lessons in the use of ipad, experts from National Informatics Centre will also impart training to legislators in paperless proceedings of the House and submitting questions and other notices online,” said an official.

“Yes, we have received a letter from the Vidhan Parishad secretariat. This is all about dual standards. The BJP used to oppose when former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi was bringing information technology. It’s now coming in handy for everybody. The state government could have found a permanent solution to the issue of having paperless proceedings by setting up permanent (work)stations for the legislators instead of giving them just ipads,” said Congress MLC Deepak Singh.

Welcoming the move, SK Dwivedi, former head of the department political science at Lucknow University, said, “Digitisation in every sector is a welcome move. As far as the Congress reaction to the move is concerned, it’s not healthy. Instead of reacting as the opposition, all the parties should join hands to welcome the move.”