Tag: Punjab Assembly

  • Punjab CM Mann moves confidence motion in state Assembly

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday moved a confidence motion in the state assembly.

    Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit on Sunday gave his nod to convene the House on September 27 after days of squabble between the Raj Bhavan and AAP government over holding a session of the Assembly.

    The CM tabled the Motion of Confidence, but two BJP MLAs — Ashwani Sharma and Jangi Lal Mahajan — had earlier walked out of the House after Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan announced that Mann would move the confidence motion.

    CHANDIGARH: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday moved a confidence motion in the state assembly.

    Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit on Sunday gave his nod to convene the House on September 27 after days of squabble between the Raj Bhavan and AAP government over holding a session of the Assembly.

    The CM tabled the Motion of Confidence, but two BJP MLAs — Ashwani Sharma and Jangi Lal Mahajan — had earlier walked out of the House after Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan announced that Mann would move the confidence motion.

  • Resolution in Punjab Assembly seeks immediate transfer of Chandigarh to state

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday moved a resolution in the state Assembly seeking immediate transfer of Chandigarh to Punjab. In the past, the House has passed a number of resolutions urging the Central government to transfer Chandigarh to Punjab, he said.

    “For maintaining harmony and taking the sentiments of people into account, this House once again recommends to the state government to raise the matter with Central government to immediately transfer Chandigarh to Punjab,” according to the resolution moved by CM Mann in the House.

    The one-day special Assembly session comes days after Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s announcement that the central service rules will apply to employees of the Union Territory of Chandigarh. Chandigarh is the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana.

    Earlier, after the session began, Congress MLA Rana Gurjeet Singh and his son Rana Inder Pratap Singh, who is an Independent legislator, were administered oath of office.

  • ‘Centre ventures into state domains’: Punjab Assembly passes resolutions against farm laws, BSF jurisdiction

    Express News Service

    CHANDIGARH:  The Punjab Assembly on Thursday unanimously passed a resolution against the  Centre’s order extending the jurisdiction of the Border Security Force (BSF) from 15 km to 50 km, terming it an “insult” and seeking its withdrawal. The two BJP MLAs in the 117-member House were absent when the resolution was passed. 

    The Assembly also passed a second resolution rejecting the three farm laws and demanding their immediate withdrawal. It stated that the Centre had “unlawfully ventured into the domain of the state government”.

    The resolution against BSF jurisdiction extension during a special session was moved by Deputy Chief Minister-cum-Home Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, who dubbed the central government’s order as attack on the federal structure and urged MLAs to meet PM Modi over the issue. 

    The resolution reads, “Punjab Police is a unique patriotic force which has contributed immensely in maintaining the unity and integrity of the country. As per the Constitution of India, maintaining law and order is the responsibility of the state government and for this purpose, the Government of Punjab is fully competent…. The decision… by the Union government is an expression of distrust towards the state police and people of Punjab. This is their insult too.”

    Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi said if required, the state would approach Supreme Court in this matter.

    Accusing the Congress government of adopting double standards on deployment of BSF, Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Majithia said on one hand, the home minister was deploying the force in jails whereas on the other hand, he was opposing its jurisdiction. 

    Rejecting the resolution, former chief minister Amarinder Singh asked the state government not to politicise the issue of national security for petty partisan ends. 

    In the absence of the two BJP members of the assembly, the House unanimously passed the resolution “rejecting” the Centre’s order.

    The Centre had last month amended the BSF Act to authorise the border guarding force to undertake search, seizure and arrest within a 50 km stretch, up from the existing 15 km, from the international border in Punjab, West Bengal and Assam.

    The resolution was moved by Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa.

    It stated that “Punjab is a land of martyrs.

    They have made exemplary sacrifices in our country’s freedom struggle”.

    “The Punjab Police is a unique patriotic force which has contributed immensely in maintaining the unity and integrity of the country. As per the Constitution of India, maintaining law and order is the responsibility of the state government and for this purpose, the Government of Punjab is fully competent.”

    The decision of extending the jurisdiction of the BSF from 15 km to 50 km by the Union Government is an “expression of distrust” towards the state police and the people of Punjab.

    This is their “insult” too, the resolution stated.

    It further said the Centre should have consulted the state before taking such a major decision, adding the law-and-order situation in Punjab is totally under control and there is no need to extend the jurisdiction of the BSF.

    “All political parties of Punjab have unanimously condemned the decision of the Union government and have demanded that the Union Government should withdraw notification dated 11.10.2021 issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India.”

    “Therefore, the Punjab Vidhan Sabha unanimously resolves that a resolution rejecting the notification of the central government in this regard may be passed, ” it added.

    Randhawa termed the Centre’s notification on extending BSF’s jurisdiction an “attack on the federal structure”.

    The Assembly members should meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the issue, he said, adding the state government would move the High Court and Supreme Court over the Centre’s notification.

    The deputy CM further said the first line of defence was with the BSF while the second line of defence was jointly held by the Punjab police and the border security force.

    Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia told the House that the Congress-led government in the state should pass a decision that the Punjab Police would not cooperate with the BSF beyond 15 km.

    He attacked the treasury benches while referring towards Congress MP Manish Tewari’s recent tweet in which he had questioned that why the Centre’s notification had not been challenged.

    Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu slammed Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal and Majithia for not attending the all-party meeting called last month on the Centre’s notification.

    Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi hit out at the Akalis, alleging they were the “gateway” through which the RSS, which has always been “inimical” to the interests of Punjab, managed to make inroads in the state.

    “When the RSS and its political wing the BJP undermined the federal structure of the country by revoking the Article 370 not only did the Akalis take sides with them but SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal spoke in favour of the move and even went to the extent of not voting against the undemocratic move,” he said.

    Channi accused the Akalis of being responsible for the “imposition of such decisions on Punjab”.

    On his meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, Channi said those were courtesy calls.

    “Perhaps the Akalis have chosen to forget very conveniently that I wrote letters to the Union Government emphasizing the reopening of the Kartarpur Sahib corridor besides pleading with it repeatedly to roll back the three draconian agricultural farm laws which are striking at the very roots of the farming sector which forms the backbone of our agrarian economy.”

    Channi told the House that in his meetings with the Centre on security issues, he always took the consistent stand that the international border should be sealed so that drugs could not enter Punjab.

    “I never asked them to increase the jurisdiction of the BSF in the state which I am being falsely accused of. I am vehemently in opposition to this move by the Government of India,” he said.

    Earlier, Transport minister Amarinder Singh Raja Warring took a dig at Sukhbir Badal and Harsimrat Kaur Badal for having the central security forces deployed with them and asked them whether they did not have faith in the Punjab police.

    Former chief ministers Amarinder Singh and Parkash Singh Badal were not present at the House session.

    AAP MLA Aman Arora questioned Channi’s meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah last month and said after his meeting, the Centre, brought a notification on the BSF’s jurisdiction.

    Later, the AAP MLAs staged a walkout over the BSF issue.

    Earlier, the AAP and Akali MLAs had staged a walkout for not being allowed to raise other issues.

    Assembly on Thursday adopted a resolution against the Centre’s three contentious farm laws, claiming that it had unlawfully ventured into the domain of the state government.

    It is the second resolution adopted by the Vidhan Sabha against the Centre’s three agriculture laws.

    The first was passed in October last year when Amarinder Singh was the chief minister of Punjab.

    The resolution was moved by state Agriculture Minister Randeep Singh Nabha on the concluding day of the two-day Assembly session.

    After discussion in the house, the resolution was passed in the absence of two BJP legislators.

    “This special session of Vidhan Sabha held on November 11, 2021 through a resolution moved by agriculture minister Punjab and adopted by the House, once again rejects the three contentious legislations which were enacted by the Union government without any competence, by unlawfully venturing into the domain of the states,” it said.

    Describing the three farm laws as an “attack on the federal structure”, Nabha said the Punjab government will not implement these.

    According to the resolution, the Vidhan Sabha strongly deprecates and condemns the efforts of the Union government aimed at “systematic dismantling of farmer-friendly regulated mandis and replacing them with trader-friendly unregulated mandis”.

    “The Punjab Vidhan Sabha feels concerned at the unfair concessions extended to the traders and corporations of allowing purchases from unregulated markets without paying market fee, rural development fee etc. and thus providing unfair advantage to unregulated markets vis-a-vis regulated mandis,” it said.

    The resolution said this will eventually lead to shifting of trade from the APMC mandis to the private mandis apart from causing fiscal loss to the state government and adversely affecting rural development.

    Participating in the discussion, AAP MLA Kultar Singh Sandhwan called the Centre’s farm laws as an “attack on the federal structure” and said the residence of the prime minister should be gheraoed to press the central government to repeal the laws.

    Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu attacked the AAP-led Delhi government, alleging it had notified one of the Centre’s farm laws and claimed that it has not been denotified yet.

    Sidhu said it was the Congress which brought a Water Termination Act to now allow a single drop of water to be taken out of the state.

    It was the Congress which brought the minimum support price, public distribution system and the Food Corporation of India, he added.

    It was only the Manmohan Singh government at the Centre which had waived Rs 72,000 crore of farm debt, he further said.

    He said that Amarinder Singh-led government had waived Rs 5,000-7,000 crore of the farm debt.

    When Sidhu was speaking, Akali legislators were shouting slogans against him.

    AAP MLA Harpal Singh Cheema questioned the role of the Congress-led government in the state over the farm laws issue.

    Akali Dal MLA Gurpartap Singh Wadala accused the AAP of playing a “double game”, alleging it had notified one of the Centre’s three farm laws.

    He further said the Akali Dal had broken its ties with the NDA and had left the ministry in the union cabinet over the farm laws issue.

    Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia took a dig at Navjot Singh Sidhu, saying when the Punjab Contract Farming Act was brought in in 2013, his wife Navjot Kaur Sidhu was part of the SAD-BJP regime.

    The house also passed the Punjab Contract Farming (Repeal) Bill, 2021 to repeal the Punjab Contract Farming Act 2013.

    The assembly also passed the Punjab Agricultural Produce Markets (Amendment) Bill, 2021.

    Meanwhile, several other Bills including the Punjab Right to Business (Amendment) Bill, 2021, the Punjab Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2021, the Punjab Official Language (Amendment) Bill, 2021, the Punjab Learning of Punjabi and Other Language (Amendment) Bill, 2021, the Punjab Affiliated Colleges (Security of Service) Amendment Bill, 2021, the Punjab One-Time Voluntary Disclosure and Settlement of Building Constructed in Violations of the Buildings Bye-laws Bill, 2021, the Punjab Protection and Regularization of Contractual Employees Bill, 2021 and the Punjab Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (Second Amendment) Bill, 2021 were passed in the House.

    (With PTI Inputs)

  • Punjab Assembly passes resolution against Centre’s BSF order, calls it ‘insult’ to state police

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: The Punjab assembly on Thursday adopted a resolution against the Centre’s notification that extended the jurisdiction of the Border Security Force, calling it an “insult” to the state police and seeking its withdrawal.

    The House unanimously passed the resolution “rejecting” the Centre’s order in the absence of the only two BJP members of the state assembly.

    The Union government had last month amended the BSF Act to authorise the border guarding force to undertake search, seizure and arrest within a 50 km stretch, up from the existing 15 km, from the international border in Punjab, West Bengal and Assam.

    The resolution was moved by Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa.

    It stated that “Punjab is a land of martyrs… they have made exemplary sacrifices in our country’s freedom struggle”.

    “Punjab police is a unique patriotic force which has contributed immensely in maintaining the unity and integrity of the country. As per the Constitution of India, maintaining law and order is the responsibility of the state government and for this purpose, Government of Punjab is fully competent.

    “The decision of extending the jurisdiction of the Border Security Force (BSF) from 15 km to 50 km by the Union Government is an expression of distrust towards the state Police and people of Punjab. This is their insult too,” the resolution stated.

    It further said the central government should have consulted the state before taking such a major decision, adding that the law and order situation in Punjab is totally under control and there is no need to extend the jurisdiction of BSF.

    “All the political parties of Punjab have unanimously condemned the decision of Union government and have demanded that the Union Government should withdraw notification dated 11.10.2021 issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India.

    “Therefore, the Punjab Vidhan Sabha unanimously resolves that a resolution rejecting the notification of the central government in this regard may be passed, ” it added.

    Randhawa termed the Centre’s notification on extending BSF’s jurisdiction an “attack on the federal structure”.

    He also said that the House members should meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the issue.

    Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia told the House that the Congress-led government in the state should pass a decision that the Punjab Police would not co-operate with the BSF beyond 15 km.

    Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi sought the support of all the political parties over this issue, saying it is a joint fight.

  • Special session of Punjab Assembly on Nov 8 to discuss BSF jurisdiction issue

    By PTI

    LUDHIANA: The Punjab Cabinet on Wednesday approved summoning of the special session of the state assembly on November 8 to oppose the Centre’s notification extending the jurisdiction of the BSF from 15 km to 50 km along the International Border.

    A demand will also be made during the session to repeal the three farm laws.

    The decision on the session has been taken after consensus on the issue at the All-Party Meeting held at Chandigarh on October 25, an official statement said here.

    In another decision, the Cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi gave approval to the Punjab Anti Red Tape Rules, 2021 framed by the Governance Reforms and Public Grievances department.

    The Act shall be applicable to all departments and their attached or subordinate offices including all units of local self-government, boards, corporations, public sector enterprises, societies, trusts, commissions or autonomous bodies established or constituted by an Act of the State Legislature or whose expenditure is met from the Consolidated Fund of the State.

    It shall also ensure that all the entities would mandatorily simplify their process to reduce the burden of compliances by at least 50 per cent within a period of six months of the commencement of this Act.

    The Act would also provide for disciplinary as well as financial penalties against erring officials for violations committed under this Act, the statement said.

    In a bid to promote ease of doing business in the state, the Cabinet also gave a go ahead to the amendments in Punjab Right to Business Act, 2020 for inclusion of expansion by existing Micro, Small and Medium enterprises (MSMEs) under the purview of the Act.

    The amendment in the Act provides an enabling eco-system for self-declaration, exemptions, speedier approvals and inspections for existing MSMEs to expand and operate in the state.

    The cabinet also allowed faceless assessment of GST and VAT.

  • Punjab Assembly passes resolution to condemn ED raid on Khaira

    By PTI
    CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Assembly on Wednesday passed a resolution condemning the ED raid on rebel AAP member Sukhpal Singh Khaira, dubbing it as “unconstitutional and unwarranted”.

    The resolution was brought by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Brahm Mohindra in the Budget session here.

    Mohindra said the resolution was brought with the permission of Chief Minister Amarinder Singh from the state government side.

    “This house expresses concern on the current role of the central agencies such as CBI, ED, NIA etc which have been set up to ensure transparency in public life.

    “Unfortunately, there have been apparent instances wherein these agencies have been used to harass innocent people including farmers, artists and politically elected representatives and even some government officials,” said Mohindra, reading the resolution passed by the House.

    Referring to Khaira’s absence from the Punjab assembly, Khaira said the House takes note of “an unwarranted and unconstitutional interference by the ED” and “condemns this interference unanimously”.

    “This house strongly condemns such unwarranted and unconstitutional interference by the central agency and urges upon the government of India to refrain from infringing upon the rights of the elected representatives of the people by subverting the due process of law and uphold the tenets of the democratic set up in the country,” he said.

    Assembly Speaker Rana K P Singh announced the resolution was passed unanimously.

    The two BJP MLAs were not in the House at the time of the voting on the resolution.

    Even the Akali Dal and AAP members were not present in the House as they had walked out of it during the passage of the resolution.

    Earlier, several members of the Punjab assembly condemned the ED raid on rebel AAP legislator Sukhpal Singh Khaira.

    Khaira who was present in the House in the budget session termed the raid conducted by the Enforcement Directorate as a “well-planned vilification and character assassination campaign” against him by the Centre and also denied doing anything wrong.

    The ED had raided the premises of rebel AAP MLA from Punjab Sukhpal Singh Khaira, his family members in Delhi and some jailed convicts on Tuesday in a money-laundering case linked to the 2015 Fazilka narcotics trafficking case and a fake passport racket.

    Raising the issue of the ED raids during the Zero Hour, rebel AAP legislator Kanwar Sandhu sought a resolution in the House over the matter.

    He also demanded that the House should express its “displeasure” over the ED action against Khaira.

    Sandhu said what has happened with Khaira could also occur with any other member.

    Congress legislator and former minister Navjot Singh Sidhu backed Sandhu and also hit out at the Centre over this issue.

    “Are we allowed to question the Centre or not? Are we a free society?” asked Sidhu while condemning the ED raid.

    He also slammed the BJP-led government, accusing it of murdering democracy.

    Former cricketer-turned-politician later said they have shown “bravery” by bringing a resolution over the matter.

    Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mohindra also described the ED action against Khaira as “unfortunate, highly deplorable and highly condemnable”.

    Speaker Rana K P Singh said Khaira was “restrained” from attending the ongoing budget session which was “legally wrong”.

    The speaker also said the central agency was not supposed to take the permission of the chair before its any operation.

    “But at the same time, during the session, no one can restrain member from attending the house,” he said.

    While denying any wrongdoing, Khaira informed the House that the ED officials had taken some diaries which have details about ‘shagun’ of the marriage of his children and some charity work of his daughter.

    He further said if the BJP-led government thinks that it can intimidate and gag him, he will continue to raise his voice in support of farmers and human rights violations.

  • Akali Dal MLAs suspended from Punjab Assembly

    By PTI
    CHANDIGARH: Members of the Shiromani Akali Dal were on Friday suspended for the remaining part of the Budget session of the Punjab Assembly for disrupting the proceedings of the House.

    Marshals then evicted the suspended MLAs from the House.

    The House witnessed uproar when Chief Minister Amarinder Singh was replying on the Governor’s address and legislators of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) rushed to the well of the House and started shouting slogans.

    Speaker Rana K P Singh adjourned the House twice and asked Akali Dal members not to disrupt the proceedings.

    When the Akalis continued to shout slogans in the well of the House, the Speaker first named all the members of the SAD and suspended them for the remaining part of the session.

    He even asked the watch and ward staff of the assembly to remove them from the House.

    When the House was adjourned, the Akalis sat on the floor of the House.

    The watch and ward staff then removed them from the House.

    The session would continue till March 10.

  • Punjab Assembly pays tributes to farmers who died during protests against farm laws

    By PTI
    CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Assembly on Monday paid tributes to the farmers who died during the ongoing agitation against the Centre’s farm laws.

    Several farmers who were part of the agitation against the three farm legislations had died due to varied reasons, including health issues like heart attack.

    On the first day of the Budget session, the House also remembered former Union Home Minister Buta Singh, former ministers MS Gill, Major Singh Uboke, Bal Mukund Sharma and Satpal Gosain.

    The House also paid tributes to noted Punjabi singer Sardool Sinkander, ‘bhajan’ singer Narinder Chanchal and freedom fighters Ajit Singh, Gohal Singh Tur and Balwant Singh.

    A two-minute silence was observed as a mark of respect to the departed souls.