Chandigarh:- Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann today said that now the ban on the sale of meat, tobacco, liquor and other intoxicants has come into force in the corridor area of ??Amritsar, Talwandi Sabo and Sri Anandpur Sahib. A notification was issued by the government in this regard.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann said in a video message on Sunday that the decision to grant the status of holy cities to three places revered among Sikhs has now come into force after the notification of the Punjab government. A resolution was unanimously passed during a special session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha held in Sri Anandpur Sahib last month. This session was called to celebrate the 350th martyrdom anniversary of Guru Tegh Bahadur.
The state government later issued a notification on December 15 to grant the status of holy cities to Sri Anandpur Sahib in Rupnagar district, Talwandi Sabo in Bathinda and the corridor area around the Golden Temple in Amritsar.
In his video message, Bhagwant Mann said that Sikhs have five Takhts, out of which three Takhts Sri Akal Takht Sahib (Amritsar), Sri Damdama Sahib (Talwandi Sabo, Bathinda) and Takht Sri Keshgarh Sahib (Sri Anandpur Sahib) are in Punjab.
Chief Minister Mann said that the Punjab government will make all necessary arrangements in these cities and provide other facilities including e-rickshaws, mini-buses, shuttle buses and other public transport services. The government will ensure that pilgrims coming from all over the world do not face any kind of problem.
The Chief Minister said that strict rules will now be implemented in the holy cities. There will be a complete ban on the sale of meat, alcohol, tobacco and any intoxicants. He assured that the cities will be developed appropriately. These cities are not only religious centres but also the hub of the cultural heritage of Punjab.
He congratulated the entire Sikh community and said that with the issuance of the notification, this decision has now come into effect and the cities have officially acquired the status of holy cities.