Assembly Session: New Laws Passed, Sacrilege Bill Sent to Select Committee

The two-day special session of Panjab Assembly began on 10 Jul, but the first day was adjourned in just 11 minutes after obituary references. The Panjab cabinet has approved the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna (Chief Minister's Health Scheme) to provide cashless medical treatment of up to USD 11.6K to all the residents of the state at government and empanelled private hospitals. CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said, 'With this, Panjab has become the first state to provide cashless treatment.' A govt spokesperson said the scheme will be rolled out on 2 Oct. On 11 Jul, the second day of the session, the Assembly passed the Punjab Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Bill, 2025 with which Panjab's traditional sport of bullock cart racing will make a comeback. Bullock cart races have not taken place at the Kila Raipur Sports Festival in Ludhiana district since a Supreme Court of India ruling in 2014 banned the races for violating the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960. The Assembly also unanimously passed a resolution against the deployment of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel at the Bhakra-Nangal Dam project of the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), saying the state police has been duly protecting the installations for the last 70 years. The resolution stated that if the BBMB deploys CISF personnel, the Panjab govt will not bear the financial burden arising from such deployment. As the Assembly unanimously passed the legislation to grant university status to Rayat Bahra Professional University of Hoshiarpur and Chandigarh Group of Colleges of Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar, opposition Indian National Congress demanded a strong regulatory body that has powers to penalize and conduct inspections of the private institutions. On 15 Jul, the Panjab govt sent the bill proposing punishment up to life imprisonment for sacrilege to a select committee of the Panjab Assembly for it to seek public opinion on the proposed legislation (earlier coverage).