The Punjab Vidhan Sabha today passed seven important billson the concluding day of the specially convened session chaired by Speaker RanaKP Singh.
The bills including ‘The Punjab Bhondedar, Butemar, Dohlidar, Insar Miadi, Mukarraridar,Mundhimar, Panahi Qadeem, Saunjidar or Taraddadkar (Vesting of ProprietaryRights) Bill, 2020’, 'Punjab State Vigilance Commission Bill, 2020', 'TheRegistration (Punjab Amendment) Bill 2020', 'The Punjab Tissue Culture BasedSeed Potato Bill, 2020', 'The Punjab Land Revenue (Amendment) Bill, 2020', 'ThePunjab (Welfare and settlement of Landless, Marginal and Small OccupantFarmers) Allotment of State Government Land Bill 2020' and 'The Factories(Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2020' were passed in the assembly session.
The Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh presentedPunjab State Vigilance Commission Bill, 2020. The establishment of themulti-member Commission, aims at bringing in more transparency and checkcorruption among public servants. The Commission has been visualised as anindependent body to exercise more effective superintendence over thefunctioning of Vigilance Bureau and all departments of the State Government, inorder to provide clean, fair and transparent administration. The Commissionwill effectively exercise superintendence and control over the functioning ofVigilance Bureau and other Departments of the State Government. The PunjabState Vigilance Commission shall review the progress of investigationsconducted by the Vigilance Bureau and cases of prosecution sanction pendingwith various departments of the Government. The Vigilance Commission shalltender advice to the various departments of the Government, and otherinvestigations on Vigilance matters. It has been empowered to give directions tothe Vigilance Bureau for discharging the responsibility entrusted to it. It hasalso been empowered to inquire or cause an inquiry/investigation to be made inrespect of allegations made under the Prevention of Corruption Act and otherrelevant offences against public servants.
Presenting the Punjab Bhondedar, Butemar, Dohlidar, InsarMiadi, Mukarraridar, Mundhimar, Panahi Qadeem, Saunjidar or Taraddadkar(Vesting of Proprietary Rights) Bill, 2020’, the Revenue Minister Mr GurpreetSingh Kangar said that this bill aims to confer proprietary rights uponSpecified Categories', in occupation of agrarian land, recorded in revenuerecord as Bhondedar, Butemar, Dohlidar, Insar Miadi, Mukarraridar, Mundhimar,Panahi Qadeem, Saunjidar, or Taraddadkar for a period of at least 20 years onthe appointed day, that is 1st of January 2020, and includes their predecessorsand the successors-in-interest, before the coming into force of this Act. Thismove was part of agrarian reforms initiated by Captain Amarinder Singh ledgovernment to empower tillers of such land, who belong mostly to theeconomically and socially weaker sections of the society. These tenants havebeen in occupation of small parcels of land for several years and inherit theirrights by succession from generation to generation adding that since they werenot recorded as owners, they could neither access financial institutions forcrop loans nor get calamity relief.
Tabling the Punjab (Welfare and Settlement of Small andMarginal Farmers) Allotment of State Government Land Bill, 2020, the Revenue Minister said that the billenvisages allotment of land in occupation and cultivation of small and marginalfarmers for more than 10 years to such farmers against a reasonablepre-determined price thereby ensuring protection of the interests of both thefarmers and the state government. This farmer-friendly step would also go along way toward settling pending litigations on this count.
Moving The Punjab Land Revenue (Amendment) Bill, 2020, theRevenue Minister said that it aims at amending various sections of the PunjabLand Revenue Act, 1887, which currently has 158 sections (except its schedule),with the aim of simplifying the legislation and ensuring faster dispensation ofjustice. As per this Act, amendments have been made in Appeal, Review andRevision and Mode of Service of Summons (Chapter 2) and Method of Partition(Chapter 9). These amendments were in line with the recommendations of theRevenue Commission.
Meanwhile, Finance Minister Mr. Manpreet Singh Badalpresented 'The Punjab Tissue Culture Based Seed Potato Bill, 2020' in theassembly. The bill aims at giving boost to potato farmers’ income by allowingproduction of quality seed potato through tissue culture based technology,using aeroponics/net house facilities, along with the certification of seed potato and its successivegenerations. This was a long pending demand of potato farmers for quality seedpotato thereby developing the state as export hub for seed potato in thecountry. The move would also help incentivize potato production, leading togreater diversification by bringing more area under potato crop cultivation.
Presenting The Factories (Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2020,Labour Minister Mr. Balbir Singh Sidhu said that bill envisages improving thestate’s investment climate and generate employment. The Bill is aimed atamending Section 2m (i), 2m (ii), 65 (4), 85 and inserting a new section (106-B) in the Factories Act, 1948. The Bill provides for changing the existingthreshold limit for small units from 10 & 20 to 20 and 40 respectively. Thechange has been necessitated by the increase in manufacturing activity by smallunits in the State, and is aimed at promoting small manufacturing units. Thiswould help create more employment opportunities for workers.
Tabling the Registration (Punjab Amendment) Bill 2020,Revenue Minister said that the Registration Act, 1908 does not fully empowerthe Revenue Officers to refuse for registering sale deed so there is a feltneed to empower them to do so for safeguarding ownership of central and stategovernment lands, Waqf lands, Shamlat lands and others for bringing efficiencyin implementation of such provisions in related state and central acts. Throughthe amendment an enabling provision has been inserted in Registration Act 1908empowering the Revenue Officers to refuse registration of sale or purchase ofcentral and state government lands, Waqf lands, Shamlat lands and others.