The Punjab Vidhan Sabha’s special session on Monday was marked by uproar, walkouts, and protests, even as the House managed to pass six bills. The sitting, convened in the backdrop of Punjab’s demand for a Rs 20,000-crore relief package after devastating floods, saw the government slam the Centre’s “token” Rs 1,600-crore assistance as grossly inadequate.
The day’s proceedings turned stormy when Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema and Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa locked horns. While AAP MLAs stormed the well of the House with placards mocking the Centre’s relief, Congress members staged walkouts over what they alleged was the government’s failure to maintain transparency. Outside the Vidhan Sabha, the BJP staged a mock Assembly session, prompting sharp reactions from the treasury benches.
Despite the chaos, the Assembly successfully cleared six reform bills covering agriculture, taxation, business, housing, cooperatives, and urban development — measures the government said were aimed at improving governance and transparency across sectors.
Bajwa–Cheema Clash in House
The most heated moment came when Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema accused Partap Singh Bajwa of controversial landholdings inside the Dhussi embankment of the Beas river and alleged that he was siding with the BJP. Cheema also claimed that Congress leaders were “acting as agents” of the saffron party by questioning flood fund disbursement.
Bajwa hit back, demanding a judicial probe into the management of flood relief funds and alleging irregularities in the State Disaster Response Fund. He said the government was evading accountability even as lakhs of farmers remained devastated. The exchange led to a noisy uproar, forcing the Speaker to adjourn proceedings briefly.
BJP Holds Mock Assembly
The Punjab BJP staged a parallel “People’s Assembly” in Chandigarh, accusing the AAP government of mishandling flood relief and law and order. The event, where BJP leaders symbolically debated resolutions, was dismissed by Cheema as a “sheer mockery of the Constitution.” He said that instead of participating in the Vidhan Sabha session, BJP MLAs had chosen theatrics outside.
Six Reform Bills Passed
Amid the drama, the House cleared six important bills: the Seeds (Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2025; the Punjab Right to Business (Amendment) Bill, 2025; the Punjab Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2025; the Punjab Apartment and Property Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2025; the Punjab Co-operative Societies (Amendment) Bill, 2025; and the Punjab Town Improvement (Amendment) Bill, 2025.
Introduced by various ministers, these bills seek to simplify business procedures, modernise cooperative societies, regulate real estate, streamline seed and agriculture systems, amend GST in line with the Centre, and allow better utilisation of funds with Improvement Trusts for civic works. Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, while introducing the GST and Cooperative bills, said Punjab had suffered losses of over Rs 1.11 lakh crore since GST’s rollout and warned that states risk losing autonomy if the federal structure is undermined.
Aman Arora Blames previous govts for Flood Mismanagement
Cabinet Minister Aman Arora targeted previous Congress and SAD-BJP governments for what he called “criminal negligence” that worsened Punjab’s flood crisis. He cited the 2017 decision to declare the Beas river stretch a conservation reserve, the shrinking capacity of Bhakra Dam and Harike Lake, and unchecked encroachments on riverbeds as causes of the disaster.
Arora praised the current government’s move to notify over 850 water bodies under the Northern Canal and Drainage Act, 1878, to prevent future tragedies. Making an emotional appeal, he urged all 117 MLAs to set aside political differences and jointly demand revised SDRF norms and a comprehensive relief package from the Centre.
