The Punjab Assembly witnessed heated discussions on several key issues on Friday, with illegal mining, concerns of Punjabi students stranded in Canada, land auction disputes, irrigation problems and allegations of curbs on social media freedom taking centre stage.
Issue of illegal mining in the state
Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa raised the issue of illegal mining in the state, seeking answers from the government over reports published in newspapers, findings mentioned in National Green Tribunal (NGT) reports and recent Enforcement Directorate (ED) actions. Bajwa questioned the government's steps to control illegal mining activities and demanded accountability.
Punjabi students affected by PGWP
Meanwhile, NRI Affairs Minister Dr. Ravjot Singh addressed concerns regarding Punjabi students affected by changes related to Canada's Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP). He assured the Assembly that the Punjab government would provide all possible assistance to the affected students. He added that the matter has also been taken up with the Union government.
Questions over the auction of panchayat land
AAP MLA Manwinder Singh Giaspura raised questions over the auction of panchayat land in Daulatpur village, falling under his constituency. Challenging the government's response, he said that if the minister could prove that all efforts were made to ensure the highest possible bid, he was ready to resign as an MLA. He asserted that the Assembly should not become a place for misleading statements and urged members to speak the truth.
Issues related to irrigation and administrative functioning
AAP MLA Gurdit Singh highlighted issues related to irrigation and administrative functioning in his constituency, alleging that a local patwari was behaving as if he was the “Chief Secretary” and working according to his own rules.
Addressed water availability concerns in the region
Raising the demand for canal water supply in his constituency, Dera Bassi MLA Kuljit Singh Randhawa appealed to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, saying, “You are like the god of water, please provide canal water to my constituency.” He urged the government to address water availability concerns in the region.
Concerns over social media restrictions
Congress MLA Pargat Singh raised concerns over social media restrictions, alleging that the suspension of Arvind Kejriwal’s social media account was an attempt to suppress opposition voices. He claimed that similar copyright strikes were being carried out against social media pages of opposition leaders and journalists in Punjab.
Questioning the authority behind such actions, Pargat Singh said that targeting social media platforms in this manner could impact freedom of expression and demanded clarity on who was responsible for these restrictions.
The Assembly proceedings reflected a wide range of political debates, with opposition parties seeking accountability from the government on governance, law enforcement, student welfare and democratic freedoms.