Punjab governor gives assent to scrapping state vigilance commission

The Punjab State Vigilance Commission Repeal Bill was pending with the Raj Bhawan for assent since October 1, 2022, after the Vidhan Sabha passed the Bill.

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At the time of tabling the Bill in the assembly, chief minister Bhagwant Mann said that the main function of the commission was to inquire or initiate inquiries into complaints against public servants under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018, however, it had failed to serve any useful objective except being a burden on the state exchequer.

There are multiple agencies in the state, including the state vigilance department, to deal with corruption cases. Therefore, to avoid overlapping, contradictory findings, resultant delays and gaps in communication, it has become necessary to repeal the Punjab State Vigilance Commission Act 2020 (Punjab Act No 20 of 2020), the CM announced in the House, adding that the decision was taken in larger public interest.

It is for the second time that the commission has been dissolved.

The state vigilance commission was first set up in October 2006 during the Congress regime. However, soon after assuming power, the Parkash Singh Badal-led SAD-BJP government in March 2007 dissolved it.

Following this, the commission was constituted again in November 2020. Interestingly, Capt Amarinder Singh was at the helm of the government on both occasions when the state vigilance commission was enacted by the assembly.

The Capt Amarinder Singh government had appointed Justice Mehtab Singh Gill, who had retired from the Punjab and Haryana high court, as the head of the commission in April 2021 and his tenure was to end in April 2026.

Once the governor gives his assent, the post and office ceases to exist.

Justice Mehtab was not commissioning any inquiry ever since the Bill was passed by the Vidhan Sabha.