One-day Punjab Assembly session on 28 August

The Punjab Assembly will convene a one-day monsoon session on 28 August, for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic broke out.

The go-ahead for the session came on Monday during a video conference (VC) meeting of the state cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh. The Cabinet noted the constitutional requirement to hold a session within six months of the previous session and decided on a daylong session within two sittings on 28 August, to be followed by a regular/longish session later, when the covid situation improves.

With the Cabinet decision, the Punjab Governor has been authorised to convene the 12th Session of 15th Punjab Vidhan Sabha, as per clause (1) of Article 174 of the Constitution of India. The session has been scheduled to open with obituary references, after which it will adjourn for a while and reconvene for the next sitting, during which legislative business will be conducted.

It may be recalled that the 11th session of the 15th Punjab Vidhan Sabha concluded on 4 March 2020. According to the rules, six months shall not intervene between its last sitting in one session and the date appointed for its first sitting in the next session. Therefore, the 12th Session of 15th Punjab Vidhan Sabha has to be summoned before 4 September 2020.