The already-dented relationship between the Punjab Government and Governor Banwarilal Purohit is all set to take another direct hit. The ruling party has decided to introduce a Bill in the ongoing session of the Vidhan Sabha to replace him by the Chief Minister as the Chancellor of the state-run universities.
 
The Bill, which received the Cabinet’s nod on Monday, is all set to be placed before the 117-member House on Tuesday during the two-day special session that began on Monday. Interestingly, the Bill will go to the Governor himself for the final nod, once passed by the Assembly.
 
The Government, for this purpose, is drawing support from the West Bengal pattern. Mann said that the Bill being brought before the Vidhan Sabha in the session on Tuesday was a “replica” of the West Bengal Government’s Bill. After it was passed, the Chief Minister would be the Chancellor of state-run universities.
 
The development assumes significance in the backdrop of the unrelenting slugfest between Governor Banwarilal Purohit and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann over several issues, including the appointment of the Vice-Chancellors of state-run Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS) and Punjab Agricultural University (PAU).
 
Notably, Purohit had turned down the appointment of noted cardiologist and the founder of Ludhiana’s Hero Heart Institute Dr Gurpreet Wander as BFUHS Vice-Chancellor pointing out that the State Government failed to send a panel of three candidates, of which he had to select one name. Purohit had also sought the removal of Dr Satbir Singh Gosal as PAU VC while terming it “illegal”.
 
“A new Bill will be tabled in the Vidhan Sabha on Tuesday through which the Governor would no longer be the Chancellor of state-run universities. The proposed Bill will have the provision that the Chief Minister will be the Chancellor of all state universities, instead of Governor,” a senior government official said, adding that the Bill will amend the Acts of all 13 state-run universities.
 
The West Bengal Government had, in June 2022, had passed a similar Bill ceasing the Governor to be the Chancellor of the state-run universities, while appointing the Chief Minister as the Chancellor.
 
Except Panjab University in Chandigarh, all other universities in Punjab are run by the state, including Punjabi University, Patiala; Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar; Punjab Agriculture University, Ludhiana; IK Gujral Punjab Technical University, Jalandhar; Baba Farid University of Health Sciences in Faridkot; Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana; Guru Ravidas Ayurveda University, Hoshiarpur.
 
The move came at a time when the state’s constitutional head Purohit and the democratically-elected head Mann are at loggerheads on one issue after another related to governance.
 
The development came days after Purohit reminded Mann of the “dereliction of constitutional duty” while citing the Supreme Court judgment. Purohit, in a letter to Mann, had accused the Aam Aadmi Party-led State Government of “indifference” in furnishing the information sought by him through his “various letters”.
 
Quoting the relevant portion of the Supreme Court’s orders, dated February 28, 2023, passed on the State Government’s plea, the Governor had reminded the Chief Minister that the information sought by him through his various letters is “yet to be furnished”. “This is dereliction of Constitutional duty as observed by the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India,” he had said, in a letter to CM written on June 13.
 
The Supreme Court order had made it clear that the Governor and the State Government have to listen to each other in the matters of convening sessions and providing information. The judgment by the Bench, headed by the Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, had also sent out a strong message to both the Governor Purohit and the Chief Minister Mann, who were at loggerheads with one another since months over a slew of issues — making it clear that the Governor was duty-bound to summon the assembly session once the State Cabinet recommends it, and so is the Chief Minister to furnish information sought by the Governor.
 
With the Apex Court’s order, it was expected that the tug of war — that has been going on between the two, having larger political ramifications — would come to an end, leading to smooth functioning in the state. However, the situation remained unchanged.
 
The two continue to be at loggerheads over one issue after another. Till date, the State Government has not replied to the issues and queries raised by the Governor despite the Supreme Court orders.
 
The Governor, in the past, had sought clarification on the State Government’s several decisions, including principals’ training in Singapore, SC scholarship, appointment of IPS Kuldeep Singh Chahal, Punjab Infotech chairman, and Punjab Agriculture University Vice-Chancellor, among others. Only recently, the Governor had written to the Chief Minister, for the third time, asking what action has been initiated against the Cabinet Minister Lal Chand Kataruchak, facing allegations of “sexual misconduct” — but there was no response by the Government.

Governor congratulates Municipal Corporation Chandigarh performance in the National Water Awards

Chandigarh: Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Banwarilal Purohit on Monday congratulated the team of Municipal Corporation, Chandigarh for being judged the Best Urban Local Body in the prestigious 4th National Water Awards, organized at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.