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Punjab Puts Meat, Alcohol, Tobacco Ban Into Effect in Three Holy Cities

The move follows a formal notification rooted in a unanimous Assembly resolution marking Guru Tegh Bahadur’s 350th anniversary.

Overview

  • Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann said Sunday the December 15 notification is now in force, prohibiting the sale of meat, alcohol, tobacco and other intoxicants within the notified limits.
  • The designation covers Amritsar’s Walled City (the Galiara around the Golden Temple), Talwandi Sabo in Bathinda and Sri Anandpur Sahib in Rupnagar.
  • Enforcement has been assigned to the Home Affairs Department alongside excise, health, animal husbandry and local government departments, with deputy commissioners in Amritsar, Bathinda and Rupnagar overseeing implementation.
  • The government pledged e-rickshaws, mini-buses and shuttle services to support visitors and signaled broader civic improvements in the designated areas.
  • Reporting highlights ongoing debate over legal clarity, impacts on livelihoods and civil liberties, and questions about how meat restrictions relate to Nihang Sikh traditions.