Punjab Assembly urges Centre to take steps to check inflation

The Punjab Assembly today passed a resolution asking the Centre to take effective measures to check 'unprecedented' rise in prices of food items.
Though the opposition MLAs tried their best to accuse the state government of trying to pass the buck to the Centre, the treasury bench got the resolution passed with majority votes.
Starting the discussion by offering a packet of onions to the Congress through a women party colleague, SAD MLA Virsa Singh Valtoha, backed by Tota Singh, asked the Congress MLAs to join the treasury bench to ask the Centre to look at the pitiable condition of common man.

Leader of the Congress Legislative Party Sunil Jakhar, however, registered protest against the SAD-BJP government mentioning that it was looting the state through various taxes and charges on services.
Meanwhile, the Assembly passed the Punjab Horse Race (Regulation and Management) Bill, 2013 to pave way for the north India's biggest race course in the state.
The House, amidst opposition raised by Congress MLAs, gave nod for enactment, facilitating setting up of, management and operation of the race courses along with betting activities, and intermediaries involved in licensing, regulation and control of horse races on race courses.

The Bill stipulates betting activities, keeping of horses, their exhibition and other processes involving horse races and concerned matters.

Trashing Congress MLA Charanjit Singh Channi's charge that it was a "move to promote gambling", Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal said the Supreme Court had ruled that "horse race is not gambling but a game of skill".
Joining hands for the cause of farmers and cancer patients, the House unanimously passed the Punjab Agricultural Credit Operations and Miscellaneous Provisions (Banks) (Amendment) Bill and the Punjab State Cancer and Drug Addiction Treatment Infrastructure Fund (Amendment) Bill.
The House also passed with majority vote the Punjab Laws (Special Provisions) Amendment Bill, 2013; Punjab Land Revenue (Amendment) Bill; Punjab Mechanical Vehicles (Bridges and Roads Tolls Amendment) Bill; Punjab Value Added Tax (Second Amendment) Bill; Punjab Regional and Town Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill; East Punjab War Awards (Amendment) Bill; Punjab Infrastructure (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill; Indian Stamp (Punjab Amendment) Bill; Punjab Ancient Historical Monuments, Archaeological Sites and Cultural Heritage Maintenance Board (Amendment) Bill; and Punjab Police (Amendment) Bill, 2013.