CHANDIGARH: The Punjab legislative assembly passed seven key bills on the concluding day of the 3-day special session called for passing the state's four farm bills aimed at negating Centre’s three anti-farmer laws.
The last day of the special session witnessed legislative business of around one hour and 20 minutes, amid protests and sloganeering by the opposition parties - AAP, SAD and LIP - against the multi-crore post matric scholarship scam. Thereafter, the Vidhan Sabha was adjourned sine die by the speaker Rana KP Singh.
Punjab State Vigilance Commission Bill, 2020
The bill was presented by chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh which aims at establishing the multi-member commission to bring more transparency and check corruption among public servants. Amarinder in his earlier stint had steered the constitution of a similar commission in 2006, which was later scrapped by the SAD-BJP government in 2007.
The commission would come up as an independent body to exercise more effective superintendence over the functioning of the existing vigilance bureau and all departments of the state government. The commission would review the progress of the probe conducted by the vigilance bureau and cases of prosecution sanction pending with various departments of the state government. It would also tender advice to various departments and on other investigations on vigilance matters. The commission has been empowered to cause any investigation to be made in respect of allegations made under the Prevention of Corruption Act and other offences against public servants.
Punjab Bhondedar, Butemar, Dohlidar, Insar Miadi, Mukarraridar, Mundhimar, Panahi Qadeem, Saunjidar or Taraddadkar (Vesting of Proprietary Rights) Bill, 2020
Presenting the Bill, revenue minister Gurpreet Singh Kangar said that this bill aimed to confer proprietary rights upon specified categories in occupation of agrarian land, recorded in revenue record as Bhondedar, Butemar, Dohlidar, Insar Miadi, Mukarraridar, Mundhimar, Panahi Qadeem, Saunjidar, or Taraddadkar for a period of at least 20 years as on January 1, 2020, and includes their predecessors and the successors-in-interest, before the coming into force of this Act. This, he said, was part of agrarian reforms initiated by the Congress government to empower tillers of such land who belong mostly to the economically and socially weaker sections of the society. These tenants inherit their land rights by succession from generation to generation but as they were not recorded as owners, they could neither access financial institutions for crop loans nor get calamity relief.
Punjab (Welfare and Settlement of Small and Marginal Farmers) Allotment of State Government Land Bill, 2020
The revenue minister, while presenting the bill, said that the bill was aimed at allotment of land in occupation and cultivation of small and marginal farmers for more than 10 years to those farmers against a reasonable pre-determined price. This, he said, would ensure protection of the interests of both the farmers and the state government. This step would also go a long way toward settling pending litigations on these issues.
The Punjab Land Revenue (Amendment) Bill, 2020
Moving the bill in the House, the revenue minister said that the bill aimed at amending various sections of the Punjab Land Revenue Act, 1887, which currently has 158 sections (except its schedule). This would simplify the legislation and ensure faster dispensation of justice, he added. As per this Act, amendments have been made in appeal, review and revision and mode of service of summons and method of partition. These amendments have been carried out after the recommendations of the state revenue commission headed by Justice SS Saron (retd.).
The Punjab Tissue Culture Based Seed Potato Bill, 2020
Finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal presented this bill in the legislative assembly stating that the bill aimed at boosting potato farmers’ income by allowing production of quality seed potato through tissue culture based technology, using aeroponics or net house facilities, along with the certification of seed potato and its successive generations. He said that this was a long pending demand of potato farmers for quality seed potato which would develop the state as export hub for seed potato in the country. This step would not only help incentivizing potato production but would also lead to diversification of crops by bringing more area under potato.
Registration (Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2020
The revenue minister, while tabling the bill, said that the Registration Act, 1908 did not fully empower the revenue officers to refuse for registering sale deeds. Therefore, a need was felt to empower them to do so for safeguarding ownership of central and state government lands, wakf board lands, shamlat lands and others for bringing efficiency in implementation of such provisions in related state and central acts. Now an enabling provision has been inserted in the Registration Act, 1908 empowering the revenue officers to refuse registration of sale or purchase of central and state government lands, waqf lands, shamlat lands and others.
The Factories (Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2020
Presenting the bill, labour minister Balbir Singh Sidhu said that the bill envisaged improving the state's investment climate and generating more employment. The bill provides for changing the existing threshold limit for small units from 10 and 20 workers to 20 and 40 workers, respectively. The change was necessitated by the increase in manufacturing activity by small units, and is aimed at promoting small manufacturing units.