Non-veg food sales banned in Odisha’s Koraput on Republic Day, sparking backlash

Koraput district collector Satyaban Mahajan issued the directive, which cited “administrative guidelines” for observing the national occasion with uniformity.

Published on: Jan 25, 2026, 06:56:07 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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Bhubaneswar : The Koraput district administration in Odisha has imposed a complete ban on non-vegetarian food sales on Republic Day, an official order said on Saturday, urging people to consume vegetarian items “as a mark of respect”. Locals, however, called the move a violation of constitutional rights and an administrative overreach.

Republic Day meat ban in Odisha’s Koraput draws criticism from locals (Representative image/Unsplash)

District collector Manoj Satyaban Mahajan on Saturday issued the directive, which cited “administrative guidelines” for observing the national occasion with uniformity.

The directive — issued to all block development officers, tahsildars and executive officers — prohibits the sale of meat, chicken, fish and eggs on January 26 across urban and rural areas. Officials are directed to strictly enforce the ban, while the administration has appealed to residents to choose vegetarian food “as a mark of respect”.

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Koraput Chamber of Commerce president Kiran Kumar said he would not like to comment on the ban order.

Meanwhile, Congress MLA from Pottangi in Koraput, Ram Chandra Kadam, said the district administration’s meat ban directive goes against the concept of freedom. “The district collector is not supposed to regulate food habits of people. He has been appointed to administer the district. He should mind the governance,” said Kadam.

Koraput lawyer Satyabadi Mohapatra argued the meat ban violates Articles 14 and 15, which prohibit discrimination on grounds of religion and guarantee equality.

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“Republic Day is a national festival, not a religious occasion,” he said, questioning why food choices should be dictated during a celebration of constitutional values.

Bidyut Khara, an elderly local, said the economic impact of the ban on small-scale meat and fish vendors, whose livelihoods rely on daily sales. “The administration could have regulated outlet timings instead of imposing a blanket ban,” said Khara.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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