Punjab Passes Bill to Resume Bullock Cart Races with Focus on Animal Welfare

Punjab: Bullock cart racing is set to return in Punjab following the state assembly’s unanimous passage of the Punjab Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Bill, 2025. The move effectively allows the traditional sport to resume under newly laid out safeguards for animal welfare.

The bill was passed during the second day of a special assembly session. Following its approval, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann described the occasion as "historic," confirming that bullock cart races would now be held across the state.

The races, once a prominent feature of the Kila Raipur Sports Festival in Ludhian, often referred to as the 'rural Olympics', have been suspended since a 2014 Supreme Court ruling, which found the practice in violation of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.

"Considering the important role played by bullock cart racing towards promoting the spirit of games and sports, and enriching the cultural heritage and tradition in the state of Punjab, which is also a great source to keep Punjab's youth away from drug addiction and also to improve indigenous cattle breeds of Punjab, the government of Punjab has decided to exempt the conduct of bullock cart racing in Punjab from the provision of the said Central Act 59 of 1960," the official order read.

The government has proposed amending the Central Act in its application to Punjab, citing cultural, recreational, and agrarian significance. The bill includes provisions to regulate the races and safeguard the welfare of the animals involved.

Sharing his views on the sport’s importance, Mann said cattle have historically been central to Punjab’s agricultural system. "Those who keep bullocks consider them as their 'own sons'," he said. He also noted that new regulations would prohibit the use of sticks by bullock cart operators during races: "We have included a clause in the bill stating that bullock cart operators will not be allowed to carry sticks during races."

Races are expected to return to Kila Raipur and other parts of the state. Mann highlighted the role of rural sports in preserving Punjab’s cultural identity and expressed hope that the bill would support conservation of indigenous cattle breeds.

He further stated that the state government would be raising the issue of stray animals with the Centre, calling them a serious risk to public safety and property.