Over 1,000 trees saved by digitalisation of Parliamentary docs: Sumitra Mahajan

Digitalisation of Parliamentary documents have helped save 1000 trees, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said on Sunday, enumerating the steps taken to turn the House into a "paperless institution".

"The number of copies of various Committee reports and papers laid on the table of the House has been considerably reduced. The number of hard copies of Budget documents also has been reduced by 35%," she said after meeting the leaders of various political parties in Parliament Library Building here.

The House has been able to save Rs 80 lakh annually by reducing the use of 194 lakh A-4 size papers translating into nearly 40,000 reams of paper, she was quoted as saying in an official release.

Mahajan said the principal intent behind striving towards paperless office has been preservation of environment, adding that according to research, for every tree destroyed, around 20,000 sheets of paper are generated.

"Therefore, by reducing the use of paper, we have saved about 1000 trees! I am sure with your kind cooperation, we would be able to convert Lok Sabha into a paperless institution," she said.

Mahajan also launched a web-portal for Lok Sabha members which would facilitate online submission of various notices by them.

"The existing system of giving physical notices in the Parliamentary Notice Office would, of course, continue at present," she said. 

Giving details about the portal, Mahajan said separate login and password would be assigned to each MP who will be able to interact with each other and with various branches of the Secretariat through e-mail and SMSes.

"The portal also provides ready information regarding Bills, meeting schedules of various committees, agenda and reports, verbatim debates and other parliamentary information. A member's reference service Interface has also been developed where they can send requests for reference material on various subjects and receive material electronically," she said.

The Speaker also released the seventh edition of a book "Practice and Procedure of Parliament" written by MN Kaul and SL Shakdher.

It was first published in 1968 and has been revised and updated at regular intervals to make it apposite to time. The book has 47 chapters. The Hindi edition of the book will be published soon, she said.

"Over the years, it has earned the reputation of being the most authentic work on practices and procedures of our Parliament and is extensively consulted by the parliamentary fraternity in India and abroad alike," Mahajan said.