In an unusual order, the district administration in Koraput, Odisha, has imposed a one-day prohibition on the sale of meat, chicken, fish, eggs, and other non-vegetarian items on the occasion of Republic Day on 26th January. The directive, issued by District Collector and Magistrate Manoj Satyawan Mahajan, instructs all tahsildars, block development officers, and executive officers within the district to enforce the ban through official notifications in their respective jurisdictions.
The order, dated 23 January 2026, explicitly calls for the prohibition of these items “on the occasion of 77th Republic Day Celebration,” but provides no explicit rationale for the decision. The order states, “With reference to the subject cited above, you are hereby requested to issue an official notification in your jurisdiction prohibiting sale of Meat, Chicken, Fish, egg, etc and other non-vegetarian items on 26th January 2026 for the occasion of 77th Republic Day Celebration in Koraput District.”
Odisha: Koraput Collector & DM has written to all Tahsildars, all Block Development Officers and all Executive Officers of the district to issue an official order in their jurisdiction for prohibition on selling of meat, chicken, fish, egg, etc and non- vegetarian food on the… pic.twitter.com/4WmcCMtOXv
— ANI (@ANI) January 24, 2026
It is not known whether the district administration took the decision on its own or whether there was any instruction from the state govt.
Officials have been asked to take prompt action to ensure compliance across the district, which is known for its diverse tribal communities and a predominantly non-vegetarian population.
The order has raised eyebrows, because while sometimes such orders are issued during religious festivals, Republic Day is not a religious event calling for prohibiting non-vegetarian food. Moreover, the order has been issued in a non-vegetarian majority state. According to available data, only around 2.6% of Odisha’s residents identify as vegetarians.
