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BSF jurisdiction: Punjab assembly's special session today, discussion on Nov 11
Earlier, the session of the state assembly had been called for a day on November 8. With the cabinet decision, the second day of the session will now be held on November 11.
The Punjab state assembly’s special session to reject the Centre’s move to extend the Border Security Force’s (BSF) jurisdiction in the state has now been extended by one more day, the state cabinet announced on Sunday.
Earlier, the session of the state assembly had been called for a day on November 8. With the cabinet decision, the second day of the session will now be held on November 11. The cabinet announced a last minute change to the schedule of the assembly according to which the day’s proceedings would be limited to obituary references while a detailed discussion regarding the BSF’s jurisdiction in the state would be discussed on Thursday.
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“Keeping in view multifarious legislative business/obligations, the Cabinet decided to extend the 16th Special Session of 15th Punjab Vidhan Sabha by another day on November 11 (Thursday),” news agency PTI reported quoting an official statement from the government. “Resultantly, now the special session of the State Assembly would be convened for two days on November 8 and November 11,” it further said.
The Union government in October amended the BSF Act, allowing the force to undertake search, seizure and arrest within a wider 50 km stretch than the previously allowed 15 km, from the international border in border states such as Punjab, West Bengal and Assam.
However, the move was vehemently opposed by the state governments in Punjab and West Bengal, ruled by the opposition Congress and the Trinamool Congress (TMC), respectively. In BJP-ruled Assam, chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had expressed his support to the move.
In Punjab, following uproar from the state opposition parties, CM Charanjit Singh Channi on October 25 had convened an all-party meeting after which the special house session was called. The BJP boycotted the meeting.
