Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit prorogues session, clears another Bill

Ruchika M Khanna

Chandigarh, November 16

Amid the ongoing tussle with the AAP government in the state over the special sittings of the Vidhan Sabha during the eight-month-long Budget session, Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit today prorogued the fourth session of the Assembly.

Purohit has also accorded assent to the Punjab Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (Amendment) Bill, 2023. The Bill is to be presented in the Winter Session of the Vidhan Sabha, which is proposed to be held in the last week of November.

No decision on four Bills so far

• No decision has yet been taken on the four Bills passed by the Vidhan Sabha during its two-day special sitting held on June 19 and 20
• These Bills include the Sikh Gurdwaras (Amendment) Bill, 2023; Punjab Universities Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2023; Punjab Police (Amendment) Bill, 2023; and the Punjab Affiliated Colleges Amendment Bill, 2023

Sources in the Finance Department say the amendments relate to aligning the fiscal deficit, revenue deficit and outstanding debt as percentage of the GSDP in that particular year, as recommended by the Central Finance Commission and approved by the Government of India.

With this, all three money Bills that the government wanted to be tabled in the Vidhan Sabha have got the Governor’s nod. The other two money Bills—The Punjab Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2023, and the Indian Stamp (Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2023, were accorded assent on October 31.

However, no decision has yet been taken on the four Bills passed by the Vidhan Sabha during its two-day special sitting held on June 19 and 20.

These Bills include the Sikh Gurdwaras (Amendment) Bill, 2023; Punjab Universities Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2023; Punjab Police (Amendment) Bill, 2023; and the Punjab Affiliated Colleges Amendment Bill, 2023.

Though the Governor had termed the special sitting of the Vidhan Sabha in June as invalid, the apex court, on November 10, declared the sitting as valid and asked the Governor to decide on the fate of the Bills.

The state government approached the Supreme Court last month against the decision of the Governor declaring the October 20 special sitting as invalid and his refusal to accord assent to the money Bills.

The Governor had been objecting to the extension of the session after its adjournment and convening special sittings of the House without getting it prorogued.