Punjab governor gives approval to table bills on GST Appellate Tribunal, stamp duty on mortgaging property

Chandigarh: Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit has given his approval to two of the three Bills sent to him, days after he wrote to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, saying he would examine all the proposed laws on merit before allowing it to be tabled in the Assembly.

The governor's approval is needed to table Money Bills in the Vidhan Sabha.

Purohit has approved the Punjab Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2023, and the Indian Stamp (Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2023, official sources said on Wednesday.

The first Bill aims to pave the way for setting up a GST Appellate Tribunal and imposition of goods and services tax on online gaming. The second Bill provides for levying stamp duty on mortgaging property.

The development comes after Purohit in his October 29 letter to Mann said that he would examine all the Bills on merit in the larger interest of the welfare of people of the state.

Purohit's communication to Mann had come as the AAP government moved the Supreme Court against him for withholding his approval to the Bills.

The Punjab Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (Amendment) Bill, 2023, the Punjab Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2023 and the Indian Stamp (Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2023 were to be tabled in the House during the October 20-21 Vidhan Sabha session.

But the Governor in his letter to the chief minister on October 19, withheld his approval to these three Money Bills.

Purohit had stated that the October 20-21 session -- which was projected as an extension of the Budget session -- was 'bound to be illegal' and any business conducted during it 'unlawful'.

On October 20, the Punjab government had cut short its two-day session. Chief Minister Mann had then announced to move the Supreme Court against the governor for withholding his approval to the three Bills which were slated to be tabled in the House.

The AAP government has already approached the Supreme Court over the issue.

It is the second time in a year that the AAP government has approached the apex court. Earlier, the Punjab government had moved the Supreme Court after accusing the governor of not 'reverting' to the cabinet's decision of summoning the Budget Session in March.

Four other Bills -- the Sikh Gurdwaras (Amendment) Bill, 2023, the Punjab Universities Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2023, the Punjab Police (Amendment) Bill, 2023, and the Punjab Affiliated Colleges (Security of Service) Amendment Bill, 2023, are awaiting the governor's assent.

These four Bills were passed during the June 19-20 session of the Punjab Assembly, which the governor had termed 'patently illegal'.