Ahead of the summoning of the two-day Special Session of the Punjab State Assembly by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, Governor Banwarilal Purohit on Thursday said that he was withholding the approval for the money Bills, sent to him by the government, slated to be presented in the Special Session.
The three Bills include 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.
In a letter to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, the Governor pointed out that he has already through his previous letters indicated that the calling of such a session was patently illegal, against the accepted procedures and practice of the legislature, and against the provisions of the Constitution.
“As the Budget Session stood concluded, any such extended session is bound to be illegal, and any business conducted during such sessions is likely to be unlawful, and ab-initio void. Inspite of these communications, disregarding the possibility of taking an unconstitutional step, it appears that a decision has been taken to call the session. For these reasons I withhold my approval to the above-mentioned Bills,” he wrote.
Mr. Purohit even cautioned the Chief Minister, saying that in the event of the persistence of the government to continue with the patently illegal session, he would be compelled to consider an appropriate course of action including reporting the matter to the President of India.
The Governor suggested that instead of continuing on this precarious course the Chief Minister may avail of a legally correct alternative of calling a fresh ‘monsoon/winter session’.
“I strongly suggest you take recourse to this. If it is the desire of the government to hold an Assembly session, it would be proper and fitting to draw up and forward an agenda or programme setting out the specific business to be conducted including the Bills to be passed, with a request that a monsoon/winter session be summoned to transact the said business. Once this is done, permission would be granted for the same,” he added.
It’s the second time this year that the AAP government and the Raj Bhawan have seen a flare-up over the summoning of an Assembly sitting.
