Punjab Vidhan Sabha’s budget session, originally slated to conclude on March 15 (Friday), has been abruptly cut short, adjourning sine die three days earlier than scheduled. The unexpected move follows a resolution passed by the Vidhan Sabha, altering the session’s duration.
The budget proposals were presented on March 5, with the House swiftly passing the budget proposals the following day.
Despite initial plans for a 10-day session from March 1 to 15, the session's premature end on the seventh day, with Tuesday's proceedings wrapping up in under two hours, marked a departure from the anticipated legislative agenda. In fact, the customary one-hour ‘Question Hour’ was wound up in less than half-an-hour.
Notably, the sole legislative action undertaken by the Government during this truncated session was the passage of the Punjab State Election Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2024 — passed unanimously within a minute on Tuesday.
Leader of Opposition Seeks AAP Govt’s Stand on CAA
A day after the Central Government notified the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), the Leader of Opposition Pratap Singh Bajwa on Tuesday confronted Punjab Chief Minister raising questions regarding the government's stance on the controversial law.
Bajwa, speaking after the Chief Minister’s address to the House, reminded the assembly that under the Congress Government led by Capt Amarinder Singh, a resolution was passed in January 2020 rejecting the CAA and demanding its repeal; and sought clarity from the AAP Government led by Bhagwant Mann.
He accused Mann of diverting attention with his speech, while emphasizing the importance of addressing pressing issues such as the CAA.
Notably, Punjab Vidhan Sabha on January 17, 2020, had made a significant move by passing a resolution urging the Central Government to repeal the controversial CAA and amend the documentation requirements for the National Population Register (NPR). Following the resolution, the then Chief Minister Capt Amarinder, now the BJP leader, reaffirmed his commitment to uphold constitutional principles, echoing the inclusive message of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji: “Na koi Hindu, Na Mussalman” (no one is a Hindu or Muslim).
Capt Amarinder had then asserted Punjab's solidarity with Kerala in challenging the amended law in the Supreme Court, emphasizing the need for amendments to address concerns raised by dissenting states.
Cong’s Privilege Motion Against CM Not as Per Procedure: Speaker
Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan turned down the Congress party’s privilege motion against the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for his alleged objectionable remarks against Congress MLA from Adampur Sukhwinder Kotli. “The resolution by the Congress MLA Sukhwinder Kotli was not proper…The proper procedure not followed by the member,” said Sandhwan while informing about the rejection of the resolution.
The development came a day after the principal opposition, Congress, had staged a walkout from the Assembly amid sloganeering against the Speaker over his failure to decide on the privilege motion. It was alleged by the MLA Kotli that the Chief Minister, on March 4, had passed some objectionable remarks against the Congress MLA when he, along with other fellow Congress MLAs, were protesting in the well of the House. Reportedly, Kotli had asked the Chief Minister of AAP’s pre-poll promise of appointing a dalit deputy chief minister.
Cheema Seeks Panel to Address ‘Late Arrival’, Absence of MLAs
As the question hour wrapped up in just 27 minutes, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema expressed his discontent over the absent or latecomer legislators — especially those whose questions have been listed. He went on to demand a constitution of a panel which will ensure that the MLAs, whose questions are listed, will remain present in the House and reach on time.
Cheema pointed out the issue of several legislators arriving late or remaining absent from the assembly proceedings, which disrupts the smooth functioning of the House. He added that delayed arrivals or absence result in incomplete discussions due to members missing their allotted time for questioning. Often, these same members complain outside the chamber about not being given the opportunity to speak, he said.
He asserted that the officers concerned were also present in the House to assist the Minister in case further details are required, “but the members chose to skip the proceedings…they should maintain the dignity of the House and reach on time”.
Speaker Rebukes BJP MLA
Tempers flared during the zero-hour when BJP MLA Ashwini Sharma raised questions about alleged corruption in the Pathankot Municipal Corporation’s repair funds, taking more than the allotted two minutes. Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan rebuked Sharma, advising him to articulate his points concisely. Sandhwan drew parallels with lawyers presenting cases in the Supreme Court, emphasizing the need for brevity. After a heated exchange, Sharma was granted just one minute to express his concerns.
