The Telangana High Court has called on the state government to establish a clear, statewide policy on where meat and non-vegetarian food can be sold. On Tuesday, Justice B Vijaysen Reddy directed officials to create guidelines that regulate these outlets within 100 meters of temples, schools, and hospitals, citing the need to balance public sentiment, hygiene, and traffic flow.
This was during a hearing for a case petitioned by Bipin Ramdas, who owns a restaurant and alleged that the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and the police were selectively targeting his business. His attorneys had argued that although other restaurants in the neighborhood were not harassed, his employees were detained and his restaurant harassed, which was a discriminatory action by the authorities.
The government, however, painted a different picture. Their legal team argued that the restaurant’s kitchen was located less than 100 meters from a Hanuman temple, creating a "sensitive" situation that could spark law and order problems. The GHMC also chimed in, noting that the restaurant was only operating on a temporary license and was already flagged as a major traffic bottleneck in the neighborhood.
Justice Reddy took a middle path. While he didn't dismiss the petitioner's claims of being singled out, he noted the lack of a uniform rulebook for such situations. He, further, asked the Principal Secretaries of the Home and Municipal Administration departments four weeks to draft a comprehensive policy. He even suggested that new outlets in these areas might eventually need a "No Objection Certificate" (NOC) from local police before they can open their doors.
In the meantime, the court has not given the green light for the restaurant to reopen. Until the new guidelines are finalised and on the books, the petitioner has been ordered to keep his non-vegetarian kitchen closed.
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