Varanasi (UP), Jun 10 (PTI) Varanasi Municipal Corporation has decided to relocate all meat, fish and poultry shops outside the city limits before the commencement of the holy month of Sawan, a move that has drawn mixed reactions from residents, traders and political leaders.
Municipal Corporation Public Relations Officer Sandeep Srivastava on Wednesday said there are around 350 to 400 meat, fish and poultry shops operating within the city and all of them would be shifted to designated locations on the outskirts before Sawan begins.
He said five sites have been identified for the purpose – Ramnagar, Sujabad, Ganeshpur, Awaleshpur and Shivpur.
Srivastava said meat traders suffer significant losses every year during Sawan as shops within the city are usually shut during the period.
Relocating them outside municipal limits would allow businesses to continue operations and reduce disruptions to their livelihoods.
The decision has generated both support and criticism among residents.
Ajay Sharma, a resident of Varanasi, welcomed the move and said the city, revered as the abode of Lord Vishwanath, attracts millions of devotees from across India and abroad.
“We welcome the decision of the municipal administration and Mayor Ashok Tiwari. Kashi is the city of Baba Vishwanath and the sentiments of crores of devotees are attached to it,” Sharma said.
He claimed that despite the BJP holding the mayor’s office in the city for decades, no such initiative had been undertaken earlier.
Sharma also demanded that liquor shops be shifted outside the Kashi region, saying such establishments should not operate in the city’s religious precincts.
However, several residents expressed concern over the proposed relocation.
Subrata Mukherjee, a resident of Bengali Tola, said fish and meat form an integral part of the daily diet and religious traditions of many families.
“Our family consumes fish almost every day. It will not be practical to travel outside the city regularly to purchase fish and meat,” he said.
Mukherjee also questioned why the administration was targeting meat shops while liquor and intoxicant outlets continued to operate across the city.
Anish Singh, a resident of Manduadih, said the move would cause inconvenience to both Hindus and Muslims.
“Meat consumption is not confined to any one community. People currently buy meat from local markets, but travelling long distances for such purchases will be difficult,” he said.
Singh added that the decision could benefit online meat delivery businesses while increasing costs for consumers.
District Youth Congress president Vikas Singh said maintaining the cleanliness and cultural heritage of Varanasi was the responsibility of every resident and any step aimed at achieving that objective was welcome.
However, he said authorities must ensure that traders’ livelihoods are not adversely affected and adequate alternative arrangements are made.
“If meat shops are being shifted outside the city, a similar policy should be considered for liquor shops as well to preserve the religious and cultural character of Kashi,” he said.
Meat trader Sahil said relocating shops to the outskirts could have a negative impact on business.
“If shops are allotted outside the city, our sales will suffer as many customers may not travel such long distances to make purchases. We could lose our regular clientele, which would hurt our business,” he said.
The municipal corporation has not yet announced the timeline for the relocation process or the modalities for allotment of the new shop sites. PTI COR ABN NB NB
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.