Overview
- The district administration withdrew the directive with immediate effect, rescinding a January 23 letter that had ordered a January 26 ban on meat, fish, chicken and eggs.
- Officials had earlier instructed tehsildars, block development officers and executive officers to issue notifications and enforce the ban across urban and rural areas.
- News18 reported the rollback followed criticism and a finding that the directive was issued without due diligence, though the collector had said it reflected suggestions from a preparatory meeting.
- Locals, political leaders and legal voices questioned the order as an overreach and potentially at odds with constitutional guarantees, while vendors warned of economic harm.
- Koraput’s demographics and food practices were central to the backlash, with reporting noting a predominantly tribal population where most residents prefer non-vegetarian food, and coverage placed the move within a wider pattern of temporary meat-sale restrictions in other Indian localities.