HC Asks Why MP Government Not Doing Live Telecast Of Assembly Proceedings

Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Indore bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court has issued a notice to the state government seeking a reply on why live telecasts of the Legislative Assembly proceedings have not yet been initiated.

The notice was issued during the hearing of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Kasrawad MLA and former minister Sachin Yadav and Sardarpur MLA Pratap Grewal.

The petition, filed through advocates Vibhor Khandelwal and Jayesh Gurnani, highlights the lack of progress in digitising the Madhya Pradesh Assembly despite clear directions and support from the Central Government under the National e-Vidhan Sabha (NeVA) project.

Advocate Jayesh Gurnani informed the court that the NeVA initiative, launched by the Centre on March 16, 2020, aimed to digitise legislative proceedings across all Indian states. As per the petition, 10 states— Bihar, Nagaland, Haryana, Meghalaya, Tamil Nadu, Sikkim, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Jharkhand—have already completed the digitisation process and commenced live telecasts of their assembly proceedings.

In contrast, Madhya Pradesh has yet to implement any concrete measures, despite having received Rs 21 crore from the Central Government specifically for this purpose. The petition notes that the Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly has even been granted a "digital tag" by the Centre, yet live broadcasts remain absent.

"The lack of live telecast means voters are unable to witness debates, questions, and discussions raised by their elected representatives," said Gurnani. "This undermines transparency and limits the public’s ability to make informed decisions, especially in exercising their fundamental right to vote."

The petition emphasises that live telecasts would allow the electorate to evaluate the performance of their representatives and promote greater accountability in the democratic process.

The High Court has now asked the state government to respond to the petition, marking a significant development in the push for transparency and digitisation of legislative processes in Madhya Pradesh.