Punjab Assembly passes key Labour and Welfare Amendment bills; green signal to resume traditional bullock cart races
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, July 11, 2025 –The Punjab Vidhan Sabha on Friday unanimously passed three significant amendment bills aimed at reforming labour laws, enhancing welfare provisions, and allowing the revival of certain traditional cultural practices.
The House approved the Punjab Shops and Commercial Establishments (Amendment) Bill, 2025, the Punjab Labour Welfare Fund (Amendment) Bill, 2025, and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2025.
While presenting the animal welfare amendment bill, Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian informed the House that traditional bullock cart races, which had been discontinued for several years, would now be revived. He said, “These races have been an integral part of Punjab’s heritage. Through this amendment, we are allowing the resumption of these games as they reflect our cultural legacy.”
The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2025 seeks to provide legal backing for the regulated return of such traditional rural sports while ensuring that necessary safeguards are in place to prevent cruelty.
Meanwhile, the labour-related amendments aim to provide improved working conditions and ensure better utilization of welfare funds for workers across the state.
All three bills were passed unanimously, with legislators across party lines supporting the measures as progressive steps toward labour reform, cultural preservation, and animal welfare regulation.