Delhi MLAs get free iPhone 16 pro

The move comes amid the assembly launching the National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA), marking a significant shift towards paperless legislative functioning.

This was the first session where all legislators attended the proceedings with their new mobile handsets and tablets, an official from the Vidhan Sabha Secretariat said.

The Delhi Legislative Assembly also became the first legislature in the country to be powered entirely by solar energy, following the commissioning of a 500-kilowatt rooftop solar power plant on Sunday.

The NeVA platform, developed under the Centre’s “One Nation, One Application” initiative, was fully implemented from this Monsoon Session. Legislators underwent training last month to familiarize themselves with the digital interface, which includes smart delegate units with microphones and voting panels, RFID/NFC (Radio Frequency Identification, Near Field Communication) access, multilingual support, real-time document access via iPads, an automated AV system with HD cameras, and a secure, power-backed networking environment.

Last month, the General Administration Department of Delhi revised the ceiling for mobile phone purchases by the Chief Minister and ministers to Rs 1.50 lakh and Rs 1.25 lakh, respectively. This revised reimbursement order, issued on July 9, sparked a war of words between the ruling BJP and the Aam Aadmi Party, over the high-end phone purchases.

The phone reimbursement cap has been revised after 12 years, with the last revision taking place in 2013. Previously, the ceiling was set at around Rs 50,000.

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