Chandigarh, September 30:
Punjab Chief Minister today moved the Punjab State Vigilance Commission (Repeal) Bill, 2022 that was passed unanimously.
Moving a resolution to this regard, the Chief Minister said that the main function of the Punjab State Vigilance Commission is to enquire or cause enquires into complaints alleging commission of offences by a public servant under the Prevention of Corruption Act 1988, Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018. He said that the Commission is also empowered to exercise superintendence and control over the functioning of the Vigilance Bureau and Police establishment in so far it relates to corruption cases. Bhagwant Mann said that Punjab state Vigilance Commission Act 2020, which was supposed to be enacted on the lines of the Central Vigilance Commission Act 2003, suffers from serious deviations.
The Chief Minister said that Vigilance Commission constituted under this Act is, therefore, not serving any useful objectives except being a burden on the State exchequer. He said that as there are multiple agencies in the State to deal with same set stakeholders including full-fledged Vigilance Department. Therefore, Bhagwant Mann said that 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 state government has enacted Punjab State Vigilance Commission Repeal Act, 2022 by repealing the Punjab State Vigilance Commission Act, 2020 (Punjab Act no. 20 of 2020). He said that the Punjab State Vigilance Commission Act had come into force on November 13, 2020. Bhagwant Mann said that Punjab State Vigilance Commission set up under this Act has not achieved the desired objectives. He said that this decision has been taken in the larger public interest of the residents of the state.
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