The Vidhan Sabha secretariat recently wrote to Governor Banwarilal Purohit informing him about the government’s decision.
Published Oct 10, 2023 | 8:23 PM ⚊ Updated Oct 10, 2023 | 8:23 PM
Punjab Assembly. (Creative Commons)
The Punjab government has decided to hold an extension of the Budget session of the Vidhan Sabha on 20 and 21 October to ratify Goods and Services Tax (GST) laws. The government has finally decided that it would organise an extension of the Budget session instead of getting the session prorogued by the Governor.
The Vidhan Sabha Secretariat recently wrote to Governor Banwarilal Purohit informing him about the government’s decision.
The Union government had asked the states to approve changes to their respective GST laws by October, to enable the setting up of an Appellate Tribunal with its principal bench in Delhi.
In addition to ratifying the GST law, the government is also likely to bring a resolution on the Sutlej-Yamuna-Link canal. Sources in the government told South First it is also planning to hold a discussion on the MS Swaminathan report on agriculture.
The Punjab government wants to use the session to get its four Bills awaiting assent from Governor Banwarilal Purohit approved. These four Bills were passed in the last session but the Governor did not give his assent to these Bills by stating that the session was patently illegal.
Governor had not accorded legal sanctity to the extension of the session in which four Bills were passed. The special session was convened on 19 and 20 June.
The Governor had stated that this could only be termed an extension of the Budget session and only Budget-related business could be taken up in the special session also.
These four bills included the controversial Punjab Police (Amendment) Bill, 2023, and the Sikh Gurdwaras (Amendment) Bill, 2023, Punjab Universities Law (Amendment) Bill, 2023 which proposed to remove the Governor as Chancellor of state universities. The final bill, the Punjab Affiliated Colleges (Security of Service) Amendment Bill, 2023, was passed to streamline the working of the Education Tribunal.
With the Centre’s requirement for states’ ratification of the GST act, Punjab has now got an opportunity as the Governor will have to acknowledge this special session.
Once the session is adjourned sine die, the government can send the communication to the Governor to get it prorogued. Once the session is prorogued, the government has to get permission from the Governor to call the next session.
Meanwhile, protest continues against the state government for not handling the Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) issue properly.
After Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) senior leadership and youth volunteers marched to chief minister’s residence in Chandigarh on Tuesday.
They were stopped with water cannons and were later detained. Party supremo Sukhbir Badal said it was condemnable that the “puppet CM” of Punjab, Bhagwant Mann had chosen to flee to Madhya Pradesh for the rallies rather than debate his betrayal on the SYL canal with us.
