Punjab assembly passes seven bills

Chandigarh, Aug 28 The Punjab assembly on Friday passed seven bills with a voice vote during a specially convened one-day session amidst the coronavirus pandemic.

Chaired by Speaker Rana K.P. Singh, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and his Cabinet colleagues attended the session that ended before lunch.

The legislations passed by the assembly include setting up Sri Guru Teg Bahadur University of Law at Tarn Taran to commemorate the 400th birth anniversary of the ninth Sikh Guru, Guru Teg Bahadur.

It also approved the Punjab Good Conduct Prisoners (Temporary Release) Amendment Bill of 2020.

Presenting the bill, Higher Education Minister Tript Rajinder Bajwa said the legislation would pave the way for extending the period of parole in situations of disasters, epidemics and extreme emergencies.

The rationale behind bringing the legislation was to enable the Jail Department to take measures to decongest jails, besides ensuring that the jails remain Covid-19 free as readmitting the inmates released on parole or interim bail would expose other inmates to the risk of contracting Covid-19.

It passed the Punjab Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (Second Amendment) Bill of 2020.

Presenting the bill, Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal said in view of the serious negative impact of the unprecedented Covid-19 pandemic on the resources of the state, the government of India has decided to provide relaxation in borrowing limits by setting an additional borrowing limit of up to 2 per cent of Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) for 2020-2021 subject to implementation of specific state-level reforms.

He said the motive was to strengthen the state resources. The state has also been allowed an additional borrowing of 2 per cent of Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) i.e. Rs 12,130 crore in 2020-21 over and above its net borrowing ceiling, which is three per cent of the GSDP.

However, the relaxation in borrowing limits is partly unconditional to the extent of 0.5 per cent and the remaining 1.5 per cent is conditional.

( With inputs from IANS )