Punjab Governor okays scrapping of vigilance panel

Chandigarh, December 19

Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit has given his assent to the Punjab State Vigilance Commission Repeal Bill, 2022, thus paving the way for the scrapping of the body which was originally set up in 2006, disbanded in 2007, and revived in 2020.

The Bill was passed by the Punjab Vidhan Sabha last year and was pending with the Governor for his approval. When this Bill was tabled in the Vidhan Sabha, the government had claimed that the commission had failed to serve any purpose and that there was multiplicity of government agencies to deal with corruption among state government employees.

The commission was revived in 2020 during the Congress regime, when Capt Amarinder Singh was the CM.

Among the five Bills that were passed by the 16th Vidhan Sabha, this is the second Bill to be granted approval by the Governor.

Earlier this month, the Governor had given his nod to the Punjab Affiliated Colleges (Security of Service) Amendment Bill (2023), while reserving three others Bills for consideration of the President of India, under Article 200 of the Constitution. These Bills are Punjab Universities Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2023; Sikh Gurudwaras (Amendment) Bill, 2023; and Punjab Police (Amendment) Bill, 2023.