The last day of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha’s last budget session of the current Congress Government on Wednesday witnessed hectic activity with the opposition— Shiromani Akali Dal and Aam Aadmi Party — harsh in its attack against the Government.
SAD staged two separate walkouts — one in protest against the mistreatment meted out to the protesting Anganwadi workers that too on the International Women Day, and another against the “lies” of Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal.
AAP also staged a walkout protesting against the Punjab Infrastructure (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2021, through which the Government would impose Rs 216 crore tax on the people of the State.
While the opposition members targeted the Congress Government for its failure to fulfill its pre-poll promises while making a new one in its last budget, the House members exhibited unanimity while passing a resolution to condemn the Enforcement Directorate raids against AAP’s ‘rebel’ MLA from Bholath Sukhpal Singh Khaira.
At the same time, several significant Bills, including The Punjab Anti-Red Tape Bill, 2021; The Punjab Motor Vehicles Taxation (Amendment) Bill, 2021; The Punjab Abadi Deh (Record of Rights) Bill, 2021; The Punjab Infrastructure (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2021; among others were passed.
SAD MLAS WALKOUTS TO PROTEST AGAINST MISTREATMENT METED OUT TO ANGANWADI WORKERS
SAD legislators staged a walkout to protest against the mistreatment meted out to Anganwadi workers who had held a protest in front of Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal’s residence in Bathinda on the International Women’s Day.
Raising the issue during the Zero Hour, SAD MLA Bikram Singh Majithia said that the Anganwadi workers had staged protests in Patiala and Bathinda for their demands.
“During these protests, they were mistreated by the Congress workers. They even snatched their dupattas which is shameful.
All this happened in Patiala, the home district of the Chief Minister, but he remained silent. In fact, the matter called for a high-level inquiry,” he said.
As the Akali Dal members failed to get any answer from the treasury benches, they started protesting and raising slogans, after which they trooped in the well of the House, after which they staged the walkout. The legislators asked the Government to listen to the grievances of Anganwadi workers and resolve them immediately or be ready to face the wrath of the people. “We express solidarity with our Anganwadi sisters and will support them in their fight against this arrogant and insensitive government,” said the Akali legislators.
AAP MLAs STAGE WALK-OUT OVER IMPOSITION OF NEW TAX
Opposing the Punjab Infrastructure (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2021, to impose a new tax of Rs 216 crore on the people of the state while claiming of presenting a “tax-free” budget, AAP MLAs staged a walk-out from the assembly. Raising the issue, AAP MLA Aman Arora said that during the presentation of the budget on Monday, the Government had said that no new tax would be imposed on the people, however, two days later, the Government introduced a new bill to impose a new tax.
“This Bill was introduced in the Assembly but the Government very cleverly withdrew it. Today, after all the work, this tax bill has been introduced.
This new tax would be levied on diesel, petrol and all immovable properties which would impose an additional burden of Rs 216 crore on the people.
People are already suffering from inflation. Petrol, diesel prices are skyrocketing and this tax will further increase fuel prices,” he said.
SAD WALKS OUT IN PROTEST AGAINST FM’S “LIES”
SAD legislators staged another walkout protesting against the “lies” of the Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal, and accusing the Congress Government of once again making false promises to the people like before. At the time when Manpreet was concluding the debate on the budget proposals he presented for 2021-22 on Monday, the SAD MLAs opposed him, and started sloganeering.
They accused that the Congress Government had deliberately made populist announcements to appease the people, which have nothing to do with reality, when it has just one year left in power. Shouting slogans, and after a brief protest, the MLAs walked out of the House.
Later, SAD MLA and party’s legislative wing leader Sharanjit Singh Dhillon said that the Congress spoke only lies.
“The promises it made to the people before coming to power have not been fulfilled till date, like debt waiver of farmers, eliminating drug menace, employment for youth, smart phones…none of these happened. Now again, the Government has made promises, which are totally wrong,” he said.
The SAD legislators led by the legislative wing leader Sharanjit Singh Dhillon and Bikram Singh Majithia said the FM had fudged figures to the tune of Rs 69,676 crore in the budget by inflating the State GSDP. They said that GSDP for 2019-20 was Rs 5.74 lakh crore and it fell by 6.4 percent in 2020-21 due to COVID pandemic by the State’s own estimates on page nine of Budget at a Glance document. “This should have made the GSDP 5.37 lakh crore in 2020-21 but the FM had fudged figures to show a GSDP of Rs 6.07 lakh crore for 2020-21”.
11 BILLS PASSED
Punjab Vidhan Sabha passed eleven important bills in the budget session chaired by Speaker Rana KP Singh.
Local Government Minister Brahm Mohindra presented the Punjab Anti Red Tape Bill, 2021 to eliminate Red Tapism and promote effective administration of public affairs. A part of the government’s reforms agenda for improving delivery of services to the public and ease of doing business to industry, the Bill contains provision to reduce the cost and burden of compliances on the citizens and businesses, through simplified, trust-based procedures that would expedite processes and make governance efficient.
The state Technical Education Minister Charanjit Singh Channi presented two bills including the Sardar Beant Singh State University Bill, 2021; and the Shaheed Bhagat Singh State University Bill, 2021 — upgrading Shaheed Bhagat Singh State Technical Campus, Ferozepur; and Beant College of Engineering and Technology, Gurdaspur; as Shaheed Bhagat Singh State University, Ferozepur; and Sardar Beant Singh State University, Gurdaspur; respectively.
Cabinet Minister Aruna Chaudhary presented the Punjab Motor Vehicles Taxation (Amendment) Bill, 2021 — to simplify the procedure for realization of motor vehicle tax and its refund where applicable.
Revenue Minister Gurpreet Kangar presented the Punjab Abadi Deh (Record of Rights) Bill, 2021 — aimed at helping the State Government compile Record of Rights of properties within the Lal Lakir in the villages for the purpose of implementing Mission Lal Lakir (with the cooperation of the Central Government under its SVAMITVA Scheme) and also to deal with the issues arising out of the rights accruing out of these properties. The same was passed in the assembly session.
Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal presented the Punjab Infrastructure (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2021 and passed in the assembly session, despite protest by the AAP members.
Besides, Rural Development Minister Tripat Rajinder Singh Bajwa presented four bills including the Punjab Village Common Lands (Regulations) Amendment Bill, 2021; the Punjab Apartment Ownership (Amendment) Bill, 2021; and the Punjab Regional and Town Planning, Development (Amendment) Bill, 2021; and the Punjab Apartment and Property Regulations (Amendment) Bill, 2021 — which were passed in the assembly session.
The state Education and PWD Minister Vijay Indra Singla presented the Punjab School Education Board (Amendment) Bill, 2021, which was also passed in the assembly.