Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit gives assent to 2 money Bills

Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit gives assent to 2 money Bills
Chandigarh: Just days ahead of the first hearing of the petition filed in the Supreme Court by the Aam Aadmi Party government against the Governor, the latter has given his consent to two of the three money Bills sent to him by the state.

The petition, filed by the state government in the Supreme Court on October 28, will come up for hearing on November 3.

Official sources in Raj Bhawan have said Governor Banwarilal Purohit had given his assent to two Bills – The Punjab Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2023, and the Indian Stamp (Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2023.

The first Bill will pave the way for setting up a GST Appellate Tribunal and for the imposition of GST on online gaming. The second Bill seeks to impose stamp duty on the mortgaging of property.

The third Bill, The Punjab Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (Amendment) Bill, 2023, has still not been cleared.

The assent given to the Bills to be tabled in the Vidhan Sabha and the stance of the Governor earlier this week when he had written to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, saying he was examining the Bills, seems to be a well thought-out strategy to finish off the “cause of action” before the petition comes up for hearing on Friday.

However, those in the corridors of power are rejoicing at the sanction being given to the Bills, maintaining that it means that the Governor has okayed his approval to the last two special sittings of the Vidhan Sabha in June and October. However, sources in Raj Bhawan say that no decision to reverse the earlier stand of the Governor – wherein he had declared these last sessions as “patently illegal” – has been taken.

It is also learnt that so far, no decision has been taken on giving assent to four other Bills that were already passed by the Vidhan Sabha in June this year – the Sikh Gurdwaras (Amendment) Bill, 2023, the Punjab Universities Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2023, the Punjab Police Amendment Bill, 2023, the Punjab Affiliated Colleges (Security of Service) Amendment Bill, 2023, as Purohit had also declared that the two-day sitting of the Vidhan Sabha in June as illegal.