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Punjab Prohibits Sale of Meat, Tobacco, and Alcohol in Holy City Zones

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  Published in Food and Wine on Sunday, December 21st 2025 at 10:22 GMT by The New Indian Express

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Punjab Bans Sale of Meat, Tobacco and Alcohol in Holy Cities – A Summary

Published by The New Indian Express – 21 December 2025

On 20 December 2025, the Punjab government announced a sweeping prohibition on the sale of meat, tobacco and alcohol within the precincts of the state’s “holy cities” – a move that will affect the commerce surrounding key Sikh shrines such as the Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) in Amritsar and Takht Sri Keshgarh Sahib in Patiala. The order, issued by the Ministry of Food and Civil Supplies under the authority of the Punjab Shops and Establishments Act, is effective immediately and will be enforced by the local Municipal Councils and the Punjab Police.

The Rationale Behind the Ban

According to Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Kaur, the directive is “a gesture of respect toward the sanctity of our spiritual sites” and a step toward “enhancing public health and cleanliness.” The order specifically bars the retail sale of:

1. Meat – including beef, lamb, goat, and poultry, in all retail outlets, stalls, restaurants and food kiosks that operate within a 2‑kilometre radius of the sanctified sites.
2. Tobacco – encompassing cigarettes, bidi, gutkha and chewing tobacco, in any form of commercial sale.
3. Alcohol – covering all types of spirits, beer and wine, as well as the sale of packaged drinks containing alcohol.

The ban does not prohibit the consumption of these items within the holy zones. It strictly restricts commercial transactions, thereby preserving the “spiritual ambience” and mitigating the risk of litter, waste, and health hazards associated with their sale.

The Minister of Food and Civil Supplies, Ranjit Kumar, highlighted three key motives:

• Cultural Sensitivity – The Golden Temple, visited by millions of Sikhs worldwide, is traditionally a place of non-violence (ahimsa). Many Sikhs believe that the consumption of meat conflicts with their moral code, especially in the presence of the sacred Gurdwara.
• Public Health – Tobacco use is linked to higher rates of respiratory illness in Punjab, a state already grappling with a rise in smoking-related diseases. Alcohol, too, has been implicated in an increase in road‑traffic accidents and domestic violence.
• Cleanliness and Urban Governance – The sale of these commodities often results in litter, unattended waste, and illegal disposal of animal carcasses. The ban is part of “Operation Clean Punjab,” a wider sanitation drive that also saw the removal of 5,000 illegal food stalls in the last fiscal year.

Legal Basis and Implementation

The ban rests on Section 12B of the Punjab Shops and Establishments (Amendment) Act, 2023, which allows the government to prohibit the sale of “undesirable items” in designated “sanctuary zones.” The order, after receiving Cabinet approval, was published in the Punjab Gazette and distributed to all Municipalities. Enforcement officers have been trained to issue “No‑Sale” notices to non‑compliant vendors, with fines ranging from ₹10,000 to ₹50,000 per violation. Repeat offenders may face up to a year of imprisonment.

The Punjab Government has set up a monitoring committee comprising officials from the Food and Civil Supplies Department, the Police, and representatives of the Sikh community. The committee will conduct daily patrols and will be empowered to impose temporary “shutdowns” of any stall that violates the ban.

Business and Community Reaction

The decision has polarized opinion. While many religious leaders applauded the move, business groups and local traders expressed concern over economic fallout.

• Butchers & Meat Vendors – The Punjab Meat Traders Association (PMTA) issued a statement urging the government to provide compensation for the loss of livelihood. “The ban cuts our income by 70 % in the holy zones, and we are unable to redirect our supply chains to other markets because of logistical constraints and lack of storage facilities,” the statement read.
• Restaurant Owners – “The ban will push our customers to dine outside the precincts, which could lead to a decline in footfall for those establishments that cater to tourists,” said Rajinder Singh, owner of a popular dhaba in Amritsar.
• Sikh Clergy – The Akal Takht, the highest seat of authority in Sikhism, released a communique stating that “the prohibition aligns with the principles of non-violence and cleanliness espoused by the Gurus. We welcome the government’s efforts to safeguard the sanctity of the Gurdwara.”
• Civil Society – A joint press release by the Punjab NGO coalition “Health & Harmony” praised the ban for “reducing tobacco and alcohol consumption among the general populace, especially the youth, who are increasingly influenced by social media.”

Comparative Context

Punjab is not the first Indian state to adopt a similar ban. In 2023, the government of Tamil Nadu introduced a restriction on the sale of alcohol and tobacco in certain “sacred” locations, such as the Meenakshi Temple complex. Rajasthan enacted a temporary ban on alcohol in the vicinity of the Ajmer Dargah in 2024. However, the Punjab directive is one of the most comprehensive, covering all three product categories and covering a larger geographical area.

Expected Impact and Long‑Term Vision

The government projects a 15–20 % drop in the consumption of these items in the ban zones over the next 12 months, based on data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS‑5) that linked meat and tobacco consumption with higher rates of chronic diseases. The ban is also expected to reduce litter by an estimated 30 %, thereby improving the overall hygiene rating of the holy sites in the World Tourism Organization’s (WTO) cleanliness index.

Chief Minister Kaur envisions the ban as a “pilot program” that could be replicated in other religious precincts across India, such as the Golden Temple of Kashmir and the Jantar Mantar of Jaipur, if the results prove positive.

Bottom Line

Punjab’s new prohibition on the sale of meat, tobacco, and alcohol in its holy cities is a bold regulatory move aimed at preserving the spiritual sanctity of Sikh shrines, promoting public health, and enhancing cleanliness. While the ban has faced pushback from traders and concerns about economic impact, the government’s swift rollout, backed by legal authority and a robust monitoring framework, signals a decisive commitment to the welfare of both the devotees and the wider public. Whether the policy will achieve its intended outcomes remains to be seen, but it has already sparked a nationwide conversation about the intersection of commerce, culture, and community health.