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Odisha: Sale of meat, chicken, fish, eggs prohibited on Republic Day in Koraput
District collector Manoj Satyaban Mahajan sent the directive to block development officers, tahsildars, and executive officers, citing “administrative guidelines”
The district administration in Odisha’s Koraput on Saturday issued a directive prohibiting the sale of meat, chicken, fish, and eggs on Republic Day on Monday, asking residents to opt for vegetarian food “as a mark of respect.”
District collector Manoj Satyaban Mahajan sent the directive to block development officers, tahsildars, and executive officers, citing “administrative guidelines” for observing the national occasion with uniformity. The directive asked officials to strictly enforce the prohibition across urban and rural areas.
Satyabadi Mohapatra, a Koraput lawyer, argued the directive violates the Constitution’s Articles 14 and 15, which prohibit discrimination on grounds of religion and guarantee equality. “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, a Koraput resident, said the prohibition will hurt meat and fish vendors, whose livelihoods depend on daily sales. “The administration could have regulated outlet timings instead of imposing a blanket ban,” said Khara.
The Koraput district administration’s directive is the latest in such directives across the country.
Municipal authorities last year banned the sale of meat on Independence Day in Maharashtra’s Kalyan-Dombivli, Malegaon, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, and Nagpur, sparking outrage.
In 2014, the Assam government banned the sale of non-vegetarian food items ahead of the inauguration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation announced the closure of all meat shops and slaughterhouses across the city on the occasion of Mahavir Jayanti, the same year.
In 2025, the Indore civic body banned the sale of meat and fish during three days of Hindu and Jain religious festivals. States have ordered such prohibitions, raising concerns over the exercise of freedom of choice.
