Punjab Vidhan Sabha’s three-day monsoon session wrapped up on a decisive note on Wednesday with three of the total four significant bills tabled — including ‘The Punjab Fire and Emergency Service Bill, 2024’ and ‘The Punjab Panchayati Raj (amendment) Bill, 2024’ — being unanimously passed.
One of the major highlights was the passage of the Punjab Fire and Emergency Services Bill, 2024, presented by Local Bodies Minister Balkar Singh. The bill introduced critical amendments, particularly in the recruitment criteria for women in the state fire department. Traditionally, the physical test for entry into the fire services mandated both male and female candidates to carry a 60-kilogram sack as part of their endurance test. However, this stringent requirement has long been a barrier for many aspiring female firefighters, with several candidates failing to meet the physical standards despite passing the written examinations.
In response to these challenges, the new Bill reduces the required weight to 40 kilograms for female candidates, making Punjab the first state in India to implement such a change.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, addressing the House, emphasized the importance of this reform, describing it as a crucial step towards women’s empowerment. “This bill was a necessity,” Mann stated, “as the previous regulations were outdated and presented unnecessary challenges for women eager to serve their communities.”
He further highlighted that the state’s fire brigades will be upgraded with the latest equipment and vehicles, modeled on those used in New York City, to better respond to emergencies in Punjab’s increasingly urbanized environment.
The session also saw the introduction of the Punjab Panchayati Raj Amendment Bill, 2024, which was brought forward by Rural Development and Panchayats Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar. The bill aimed at promoting consensus-based governance in rural areas by providing a financial incentive to panchayats that are elected unanimously. Under this new law, villages that achieve consensus in electing their panchayats will receive a grant of Rs five lakh. In addition, it also bars the contesting leaders to use party symbols to contest panchayat elections.
Articulating the rationale behind the Bill, the Chief Minister noted that elections conducted without party symbols can help reduce factionalism and promote the holistic development of villages. He recounted a story to underline the significance of unity in panchayat elections, pointing out that consensual elections would save substantial amounts of money, which could be better utilized for village development rather than election expenses.
In addition to these two bills, the assembly also passed the Punjab Goods and Services Tax Amendment Bill, 2024. Introduced by Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, this Bill aimed at refining the state’s GST regime, making it more taxpayer-friendly while ensuring better compliance. Key amendments include the exclusion of Extra Neutral Alcohol (ENA) used for manufacturing liquor from the GST purview, allowing it to be taxed under VAT instead. The bill also offered significant relief to taxpayers, including an amnesty scheme for outstanding tax demands from the financial years 2017-18 to 2019-20, provided full payment is made by March 31, 2025.
Furthermore, the Bill extended the deadline for filing returns to avail of input tax credit (ITC) for past financial years, simplifying procedures for businesses. Cheema praised these reforms, asserting that they are designed to enhance the ease of doing business in Punjab.
He criticized the previous governments for their failure to address the state’s fiscal challenges, contrasting this with the current administration’s proactive measures, which have already led to a noticeable increase in GST collections.
Besides, the Punjab Agricultural Produce Markets Amendment Bill, 2024, introduced by Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian, was also passed with majority without much discussion.
NEW AGRI POLICY SOON: CM MANN
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday unveiled plans to draft a comprehensive agriculture policy, emphasizing a collaborative approach with all stakeholders. Addressing the House on the third and concluding day of the monsoon session, Mann highlighted that the policy, which is nearing completion, will soon be discussed with shareholders.
He underscored the importance of engaging with farmers to ensure that the policy effectively addresses their needs and concerns. Mann criticized the Union Government for enacting laws without proper consultation, referencing the controversial repeal of three laws that had been enacted without adequate stakeholder engagement.
To enhance industrial growth, Mann also announced the formation of an Industrial Advisory Commission, including leading industrialists, and to be chaired by a Cabinet-rank official.
The commission is set to offer expert advice on industrial policy, continuing the state’s commitment to integrating industry feedback into policy-making, said Mann, assuring that this approach mirrors the successful implementation of the state’s industrial policy, which was also developed through extensive consultations with industrial leaders.
The Chief Minister also highlighted the success of the One-Time Settlement (OTS) scheme for pending VAT cases, which has yielded an additional Rs 164 crore for the state. Mann criticized previous regimes for ineffective OTS schemes that failed to benefit anyone and expressed his commitment to introducing new OTS schemes in the near future. On the issue of DAP shortage, Mann revealed that he recently discussed the DAP (Diammonium Phosphate) allocation issue with the Union Minister JP Nadda. He informed Nadda that Punjab had contributed 120 lakh metric tons to the central pool but had yet to receive its allotted DAP quota. Nadda advised Mann to send officials to Delhi to resolve the issue. After which our minister and officers had gone to the national capital. Taking aim on the opposition, Mann advised Congress MLA Sandeep Jakhar to first gather accurate information and inform his uncle—referring to Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar — emphasizing that incomplete knowledge can be misleading.
