Odisha’s Koraput administration withdraws ban on non-veg food sale on Republic Day

In a new notification issued by the Collectorate, Koraput Collector Manoj Satyavan Mahajan revoked the January 23 order

Updated on: Jan 25, 2026, 16:02:04 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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Bhubaneswar: The Koraput district administration in Odisha on Sunday withdrew its earlier order banning the sale of non-vegetarian food items on Republic Day, following widespread criticism from across the country and traders.

The Koraput district administration in Odisha on Sunday withdrew its earlier order banning the sale of non-vegetarian food items on Republic Day. (Representative photo)

In a new notification issued by the Collectorate, Koraput Collector Manoj Satyavan Mahajan revoked the January 23 order that had prohibited the sale of meat, chicken, fish, eggs and other non-vegetarian items on January 26. The withdrawal takes effect immediately.

The notification said the earlier instruction had been issued on the recommendation of the district-level Republic Day preparatory committee. However, after reconsideration, the administration decided to cancel the directive.

The ban had drawn sharp reactions from locals and the trading community, with many questioning the rationale behind imposing such restrictions on a national holiday.

Posting on X, Koraput MP Saptagiri Ulaka said the ban was arbitrary. “An elected Republic cannot honour the Constitution by curbing constitutional freedoms. The ban on sale of non-veg food on Republic Day in Koraput is arbitrary, exclusionary, and unconstitutional. What was the necessity? Why single out a tribal-dominated, culturally diverse district,” he had posted.

Defending the initial decision, Collector Mahajan said it was taken following demands raised during the Republic Day preparedness meeting. He said a “larger section” of participants backed the ban to preserve the sanctity of the occasion.

During a January 7 meeting, public representatives had agreed that non-vegetarian food should not be sold on Republic Day, invoking Gandhian ideology and the importance of the national celebration.

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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