A rapid reversal was witnessed by the Koraput district administration when it decided to lift the controversial order banning the sale of non-vegetarian food yesterday, merely two days after the announcement was made. The order, which would have resulted in the prohibition of the sale of meat, chicken, fish, and eggs in the district on the occasion of Republic Day, was officially withdrawn amid public outrage.
However, the initial order, issued by Collector Manoj Satyawan Mahajan on Jan 23, had asked government officials like tahsildars and block development officers to totally ban the service of non-veg dishes in preparation for the celebrations. But it was not taken positively by either the citizens or politicians. In his fresh order on Sunday, Mahajan clarified that the ban had been suggested by a district-level preparatory committee but stated that, "after due consideration," the letter was being withdrawn with immediate effect.
While the Collector’s office didn't explicitly cite the public outcry as the reason for the reversal, local sources say the pressure was too much to ignore. Koraput MP Saptagiri Ulaka, who had been a vocal critic of the move, took to X to celebrate the decision. He called the ban "arbitrary and unconstitutional," arguing that constitutional freedoms shouldn't be suspended on a whim— particularly in a diverse tribal district like Koraput. "Republic Day is about liberty, not coercion," Ulaka wrote, ending his post with "Jai Johar."
With the ban now a thing of the past, local markets are expected to operate as usual this Monday. The incident has sparked conversation about the limits of administrative overreach during national celebrations.
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