Punjab bans sale of meat, liquor, tobacco in 3 new holy cities: Which ones are on the list?

The Punjab Assembly has banned sale and consumption of liquor, meat, tobacco and other intoxicants in three cities of the state after unanimously passing a resolution declaring them as holy. The Punjab government has declared Anandpur Sahib in Rupnagar district, Talwandi Sabo in Bathinda and the Galiara area around the Golden Temple in Amritsar as holy cities.

According to the resolution, a complete ban on sale and consumption of liquor, meat and tobacco items has been placed in these places, according to the resolution. The resolution was introduced by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann during a special session of the Punjab Assembly, convened to commemorate the 350th martyrdom anniversary of Guru Tegh Bahadur in Anandpur Sahib.

It was also the first time a Vidhan Sabha session was held outside the capital of Punjab to pay tributes to Guru Tegh Bahadur. Also Read | Haryana bans sale of tobacco and intoxicating substances within 1 km of schools — Here's all you need to know

Apart from declaring three cities as holy, the state government has also organised events since Sunday, November 23, as part of the 350th martyrdom anniversary of the ninth Sikh Guru. The event will continue today, November 25.

The chief minister was speaking to reporters in Anandpur Sahib shortly after the Punjab Assembly unanimously passed a resolution declaring Anandpur Sahib in Rupnagar district, Talwandi Sabo in Bathinda and the Galiara area around the Golden Temple in Amritsar as holy cities.

Bhagwant Mann said that for decades, people have been demanding holy-city status for these places. “Our government is blessed to have taken this decision. The special session will be remembered for a long time for this move,” Bhagwant Mann said.

There are five 'Takhts' of Sikhs out of which three – Sri Akal Takht Sahib (Amritsar), Sri Damdama Sahib (Talwandi Sabo, Bathinda) and Takht Sri Keshgarh Sahib (Sri Anandpur Sahib).

The chief minister said these places are not just religious centres but also symbols of our civilisational heritage. “Declaring them holy cities was not just a demand by a single political party, community or religion, rather, it was an essential step toward the preservation and global promotion of our cultural heritage,” he said.

The state government will ensure the holistic development of these cities besides accelerating religious tourism in them, the Punjab CM added.