Parliament Embraces Digital Signatures for Attendance

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has amended the rules to allow electronic signatures for marking parliamentary attendance, entitling members to a daily allowance. This move replaces the previous requirement of signing a physical register in parliament lobbies. The revised guidelines were presented by Secretary General Utpal Kumar Singh.

In a significant move towards digital transformation, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has introduced amendments allowing electronic signatures for marking attendance in Parliament. This change entitles members to their daily allowance without the prior necessity of signing a physical register in the lobbies.

The amended 'Directions by the Speaker', presented by Secretary General Utpal Kumar Singh, state that members can utilize electronic or biometric methods approved by the Speaker to record their presence during sessions. This includes physical registers or e-registers developed for this purpose.

Additionally, in a related development, the government announced a salary hike for Members of Parliament. The new monthly salary is set at Rs 1.24 lakh, with the daily allowance increasing from Rs 2,000 to Rs 2,500.

(With inputs from agencies.)