Two years after it was set up by the then Congress-led Punjab Government in October 2020, the Aam Aam Party (AAP) led State Government has decided to do away with the Punjab State Vigilance Commission. For the same, the Government will table the Punjab State Vigilance Repeal Bill, 2022, on Friday. If passed, the Commission would be dissolved for the second time.
 
As per the tentative schedule of the Friday’s House proceedings, the government will table three bills, of which Punjab State Vigilance Repeal Bill, 2022.
 
The Vigilance Commission has been set up twice—both times by the former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh. Firstly, during Capt Amarinder’s tenure in 2002, the Assembly had passed a bill to set up the Vigilance Commission, under the Chief Director, Vigilance Bureau. In 2007, when the Shiromani Akali Dal came to power in collation with BJP, it was dissolved.
 
In 2020, Capt Amarinder against introduced the Bill to constitute the Vigilance Commission. Punjab and Haryana High Court’s former acting chief justice Justice Mehtab Singh Gill was appointed as the Punjab State Chief Vigilance Commissioner.
 
The move came at a time when the Vigilance Commission has become quite active working under the AAP Government’s main objective to curb corruption.
 
It has been learnt that by dissolving the Commission, the Government is planning to come up with a new setup. However, as of now, there is no information regarding what it would be. Earlier also, the AAP Government has cut down the number of Commission’s members from 11 to five.
 
Apart from repealing the Vigilance Commission Bill, the Punjab Village Common Land Regulation Amendment Bill will also be brought, in which Panchayati land cannot be sold to anyone and will be owned by the Panchayats. Besides, the Punjab Goods and Service Tax Amendment Bill will also be tabled.
 
Bajwa to bring a calling attention proposal on crop loss

Congress MLA and the Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa will raise the demand for compensation for the crop damaged due to recent rains in the House on Friday. As per the schedule, Bajwa will bring a calling attention motion on the issue.