5 Bills under consideration, decision soon: Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit to Bhagwant Mann

Ruchika M Khanna

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Chandigarh, November 24

Amid a standoff over a delay in approval to five Bills passed by the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, Governor Banwarilal Purohit and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann today exchanged letters on the legislations under question.

While the CM urged the Governor to immediately clear the pending Bills, including four passed in a special sitting of the Vidhan Sabha in June and another pending for approval since last year, the Governor said these were under active consideration, while pointing out he was happy that the practice of adjourning sessions sine die and being recalled without prorogation had come to an end finally. The CM’s letter was drafted last night and sent to the Governor this morning. In the letter, drafted after the Supreme Court verdict uploaded last evening, the Chief Minister urged the Governor to immediately clear the five pending Bills.

Mann said in his earlier communications, the Governor had stated the validity of the special Assembly sittings, convened by the Speaker in June, was in doubt, which was impeding clearance of the Bills. However, the CM added the issue regarding the sittings on June 19-20 and October 20 had been held valid by the SC, in its orders pronounced on November 10.

CM Mann requested the Governor that in keeping with the constitutional obligation and spirit of democracy, as elucidated in SC’s orders dated November 10, these Bills be cleared forthwith.

The Governor, in his reply, said the Bills were under his active consideration and appropriate decision would be taken expeditiously. “Though it (the practice of recalling sessions) came through the indulgence by SC, I am glad the healthy democratic practices are put on track. In fact, I have been repeatedly advising you to follow the same procedure which was agreed upon by you in the SC,” he wrote.

The Bills in question are The Sikh Gurdwaras (Amendment) Bill, 2023; The Punjab Police (Amendment) Bil, 2023; The Punjab Affiliated Colleges (Security of Service) (Amendment) Bill, 2023; The Punjab Universities Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2023; and The Punjab State Vigilance Commission (Repeal) Bill, 2022.