Punjab Governor calls Assembly session illegal, withholds approval to 3 Bills

Vishav Bharti

Chandigarh, October 19

Calling the two-day Assembly session beginning tomorrow patently illegal, Governor of Punjab Banwarilal Purohit today withheld the approval to three Bills to be tabled on the floor of the House during the session. The Governor threatened that if the government continued with ‘the patently illegal session’, he may report the matter to the President.

In a letter written to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Purohit said three money Bills had been forwarded to him for his approval for presentation in the special session of the 4th budget session of the 16th Punjab Vidhan Sabha from October 20.

The Bills are: The Punjab Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (Amendment) Bill, 2023, The Punjab Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2023, and The Indian Stamp (Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2023.

“I have already indicated vide letter dated July 24 and the letter dated October 12 that the calling of such a session was patently illegal against the accepted procedures and practice of the legislature and against the provisions of the Constitution. As the budget session stood concluded, any such extended session is bound to be illegal and any business conducted during such sessions is likely to be unlawful and void ab initio.”

In spite of these communications, disregarding the possibility of taking an unconstitutional step, it appears that a decision has been taken to call the session. “For these reasons I withhold my approval to the above mentioned Bills.”

“I have to point out that instead of continuing on this precarious course, you may choose a legally correct alternative of calling a fresh monsoon/winter session. I strongly suggest you take recourse to this,” said the Governor.

He further said if it was the desire of the government to hold an Assembly session, it would be proper and fitting to draw up and forward an agenda or programme setting out the specific business to be conducted, including the Bills to be passed, with a request that a monsoon/winter session be summoned to transact the said business. “Once this is done, permission would be granted for the same.”

Bills in question

• The Punjab Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (Amendment) Bill, 2023
• The Punjab Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill
• The Indian Stamp (Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2023

Choose legally correct alternative

I have to point out that instead of continuing on this precarious course, you may choose a legally correct alternative of calling a fresh monsoon/winter session. I strongly suggest you take recourse to this. — Banwarilal Purohit, Governor