Punjab Assembly met for only 63 days in four years, but held nearly a dozen special sessions: Study

The study said these thematic sessions reflected the Assembly’s expanding symbolic and communicative role beyond routine legislative business.

Examining legislative instruments, the report found that roads and infrastructure emerged as the most discussed subjects during Zero Hour proceedings, accounting for about 18 interventions. Drug abuse and trafficking was the second most frequently discussed issue, with members raising concerns over de-addiction centres, enforcement of the NDPS Act, cross-border smuggling and anti-drug operations.

Questions raised during Question Hour also largely centred on public works, health services and local government matters. The study noted that most issues reflected constituency-level concerns, though some addressed broader institutional and policy matters.

Between 2022 and 2026, the Assembly recorded 52 Calling Attention Notices. Social issues accounted for the largest share, including matters related to reservation policies, dengue awareness and pension schemes. Environmental concerns such as stray dog management, sewage overflow, and crop damage were also frequently raised, alongside economic issues including delayed compensation for farmers, shortages of agricultural inputs, and food adulteration.

The report highlighted the role of Assembly committees in legislative oversight. The Committee on Estimates reviewed spending by departments, including Labour, Revenue and Rehabilitation, and Forest and Wildlife Protection, while the Public Accounts Committee examined audit reports and expenditure accounts from 2015-16 to 2020-21. The Committee on Government Assurances submitted reports during successive Budget Sessions, beginning in 2024-25, to track promises made by ministers on the floor of the House.

The study found that the Assembly adopted 33 resolutions during the review period, including 14 moved by the government. More than half of these official resolutions related to Centre-State issues and Punjab’s economic and administrative interests. These included demands concerning Chandigarh, release of Rural Development Fund dues, opposition to the proposed National Framework on Agricultural Marketing and criticism of the Centre’s relief package following the 2025 floods.

The Assembly also witnessed one no-confidence motion against the government in its first year, which was defeated with the support of more than 91 MLAs. In May 2026, the government secured passage of a confidence motion during a special Labour Day session.

On legislative output, the study found that 61 Bills were introduced between March 2022 and December 2025. Of these, 60 were passed on the same day they were introduced, continuing a trend seen during the previous Assembly as well.

The only Bill not passed immediately was the Punjab Prevention of Offences against Holy Scriptures Bill, 2025, which was referred to a Select Committee. The report described the referral as the first instance in nearly a decade of a Bill being sent to a Select Committee in the Punjab Assembly. Following committee scrutiny, the legislation was later enacted as the Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Amendment Act.

The PANJ Foundation said the findings raised broader questions about legislative capacity and the quality of democratic deliberation. It argued that stronger committee systems, improved policy research support and enhanced legislative analysis capabilities were needed to help the Assembly deal with increasingly complex governance challenges.

(The writer is co-founder of the PANJ Foundation, an independent policy research organisation based in Punjab)