Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Friday urged Governor Banwari Lal Purohit to immediately clear the five Bills duly passed by the state legislative Assembly, a few months back.
The Governor, however, said that these five Bills are under his “active consideration and appropriate decision according to law will be taken “expeditiously.”
In a letter to the Governor, the CM said the five Bills passed by the Punjab Assembly are pending with the former for his assent. He said four of these Bills were passed in the sittings of the Budget Session held on June 19 and 20 this year.
Mann said in his earlier communications, the Governor had stated that the validity of the special sittings of the Assembly, convened by the Speaker in June 2023 was in doubt, which was an impediment for clearing the Bills.
The CM, however, said that the issue regarding the sittings of Punjab Assembly in June and 20 October, 2023 has been held valid by the Supreme Court in its orders pronounced in court on 10 November.
Therefore, Mann said five Bills, which were validly passed by the Assembly , are pending for approval with the Governor. Mann said that these bills include The Sikh Gurdwaras (Amendment) Bill, 2023, The Punjab Police (Amendment) Bil,2023, The Punjab Affiliated Colleges (Security of Service) (Amendment) Bil, 2023, The Punjab Universities Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2023 and The Punjab State Vigilance Commission (Repeal) Bill, 2022.
The Chief Minister requested the Governor that in keeping with the constitutional obligation and the spirit of democracy as elucidated in the orders dated November 10 of the Supreme Court , these bills be cleared forthwith.
In a written reply to the CM’s letter, Purohit said he is “happy to note that the practice of adjournment the Assembly sine die and recalling it without proroguing came to an end finally.”
“Though it came through the indulgence by the Supreme Court, I am glad that the healthy democratic practices are put on track. In fact I have been repeatedly advising you to follow the same procedure which was agreed upon by you in the Supreme Court,” the Governor said in a letter to the CM.
The Supreme Court, in its November 10 judgement which was uploaded on Thursday night, directed Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit to decide on the Bills passed by the legislative Assembly during its “constitutionally valid” session held on June 19 and 20, saying the Governor’s power cannot be used to “thwart the normal course of lawmaking.”
The top court’s verdict came on the plea of the Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab which alleged the Governor was not granting his assent to four bills which were passed by the Assembly.