Glass panels removed from press, Speaker galleries in Delhi Assembly

In a move to increase transparency in legislative proceedings, the Delhi Legislative Assembly has removed the glass panels from the press and Speaker galleries. This decision, made on the orders of Speaker Vijender Gupta, is aimed at providing an unobstructed view of the House, particularly for accredited journalists covering the sessions.

Gupta said the decision was made in response to concerns raised by the media regarding limited visibility. “The media is the fourth pillar of democracy and any obstruction to their work is unacceptable,” he said. “We often saw that media representatives could not properly observe the proceedings, so when the issue was raised, we decided to remove all obstacles.”

The Speaker criticised the installation of the barriers by the previous administration, calling it contrary to the spirit of open governance. “I fail to understand why these obstacles were created in the first place,” he added. “Transparency in the functioning of the Assembly is non-negotiable.”

Gupta also highlighted the significance of the Assembly building, noting it was here that the Rowlatt Act was passed on March 18, 1919. “Mahatma Gandhi was present in the visitors’ gallery during the debate on the Act and later addressed the public outside the building,” he said. “This sequence of events makes the Delhi Assembly campus a significant site in India’s freedom struggle.”

Plans are already underway to preserve the 20-acre Assembly campus as a heritage site. A recent meeting discussed the initial steps of a conservation plan, which would include a feasibility report by the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) within three weeks. A dedicated committee would oversee the project, which would feature a light and sound show, a documentary film and a museum.

The multi-phase project would focus on structural restoration, cultural displays and public engagement, with the Assembly building expected to open to the public on weekends.

Separately, Gupta met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla at the Parliament Secretariat to discuss the modernisation of the institution while preserving its legacy. During the meeting, Birla directed the conversion of the Delhi Vidhan Sabha library into a digital e-library. He called for archival records from the Town Hall to be included in the digitisation project. The visit to the Town Hall’s Record Room underlined the need to preserve civic and governance documents dating back to 1880.

Delhi