Punjab Governor Summons 2-Day Assembly Session From November 28

Chandigarh:

Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit on Wednesday issued a statement summoning a two-day session of the state assembly starting from November 28.

According to the statement issued by the Punjab Vidhan Sabha secretariat, the governor summoned the fifth session of the 16th Punjab Vidhan Sabha at 2 pm on November 28.

The Punjab Cabinet had on Monday given a nod for sending a recommendation to the governor for the convening of a two-day winter session of the Vidhan Sabha from November 28.

The upcoming session will see the tabling of three money Bills — 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.

Banwarilal Purohit had on November 15 prorogued the budget session after the Punjab Vidhan Sabha secretariat wrote to him requesting it.

The extension of the budget session summoned by the AAP government has been a sore point between the Bhagwant Mann dispensation and the Raj Bhavan.

The Budget session, which was convened in March, was adjourned sine die – adjournment for an indefinite period – and not prorogued, which terminates the session of the house.

The state government then convened a special session on June 19 and 20 which was the extension of the Budget session.

The session saw the passing of four bills — the Sikh Gurdwaras (Amendment) Bill, 2023, the Punjab Universities Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2023, the Punjab Police (Amendment) Bill, 2023 and the Punjab Affiliated Colleges (Security of Service) Amendment Bill, 2023.

None of the four Bills have yet been assented to by the governor who called the June session “patently illegal.” The state government again called a two-day session on October 20-21 as an extension of the Budget session. Banwarilal Purohit had then stated that the session was “bound to be illegal” and any business conducted during it was “unlawful.” Later, the state government moved the Supreme Court against the governor. 

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