By Japan K Pathak, Ahmedabad, 30 September 2013

The website of Gujarat Assembly is a shame. The website doesn’t function most of the time. When it works, it shows the data that has not been updated. If websites of other state assemblies in India are in 21st century’s 13th year, the website of Gujarat assembly reflects the version of late 1990 era of internet.

The monsoon session of the assembly is scheduled to start today, but the main sections of the website of Gujarat assembly are not accessible for last two days!

Even if the website works fully, it has nothing much to offer. The transparency level is nearly zero, and I am not exaggerating.

Do you want to see the bills that are to be tabled in the session? You don’t find it on Gujarat assembly website.

Do you want to see the business of upcoming/ongoing session? You don’t find it on Gujarat assembly website.

Do you want the question/answer/debate/resolution/Goevrnor’s address etc data of ongoing or past sessions? You don’t find it on Gujarat assembly website.

If you go through the websites of other state assemblies, you feel ashamed of transparency level that Gujarat assembly speaker offers through his website.

Go to Kerala assembly website, and you will find the services like ‘on demand webcasting’, full data of unedited proceedings, searchable archive of previous sessions etc.

On Karnataka assembly website, you will see rules of procedure, facilities to the members, e-library etc.

Andhra Pradesh assembly website even provides you the facility to take 360 degree tour of the house. There’s a service of e-petition through which one can send petitions directly to the AP legislature. Live viewing facility is of course there on the website. Entire record is searchable and available in archive section.

Goa assembly website offers details like bills, resolutions, calling attention, zero hour motions, session information, committees, documents, bulletins etc. The Rajasthan assembly website is even more prolific.

You can access the websites of many other states and compare it to the website of the Gujarat assembly. You shall be convinced, it’s a big let down. It’s not just the matter of a website, it reflects lack of willingness to offer more transparency.

Many states allow live video telecast of assembly proceedings. Some states have facilitated live web streaming. But video capturing or airing of Gujarat assembly proceedings is not allowed.

During the last budget session, the opposition Congress protested two bills. One was about irrigation, and the other was about Lokayukta. The information department had not enough copies of bill to distribute among the media persons, and therefore there were all kinds of different versions next day in the newspapers about two bills. So we found Congress saying something, the BJP something else, one newspaper interpreting the bill this way, and the other newspaper that way…. This confusing situation occurred due to traditional practice of not making bills public(in other states, they put it online on assembly website).

We posted a tweet addressing the Chief Minister and requested him to put the bills online. After a week or so, only those two bills were put online, but on the website of Information department. The assembly website never improved!

The monsoon session of Gujarat assembly starts today, and for last two-three days there are guessing games going in the newspapers about which bills are to be tabled, and exactly when! Again, the transparency level is nearly zero!

In 13th year of 21st century, this level of transparency, this type of website, this style of practice is shameful.

Speaker Vajubhai Vala needs to do much more.