Assam CM Himanta Extends Beef Ban To Restaurants, Public Events

Himanta Sarma said that the decision to stop eating beef near temples have now been expanded to the entire state that you will not be able to eat it in any community place, public place or restaurant

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday extended the beef ban in the state to restaurants, hotels, and public events to restrict consumption. The decision was taken at a meeting of the state cabinet to amend the existing law on beef consumption to incorporate the new provisions.

"In Assam, we have decided that beef will not be served in any restaurant or hotel and also it will not be served in any public function or public place, so from today we have completely decided to stop the consumption of beef in hotels, restaurants and public places. Earlier our decision was to stop eating beef near temples but now we have expanded it to the entire state that you will not be able to eat it in any community place, public place, hotel or restaurant," Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

As per the existing Assam Cattle Preservation Act of 2021, the sale or purchase of beef and beef products were banned in areas which are predominantly inhabited by Hindu, Jain, Sikh and other non-beef eating communities or withing a radius of 5 kms of any temple or other religious institutions. 

Assam Minister Pijush Hazarika meanwhile dared the state Congress to welcome the beef ban or 'go and settle to Pakistan.' 

"I challenge Assam Congress to welcome the beef ban or go and settle in Pakistan," Pijush Hazarika said in a post on X.

During the state cabinet meeting, which Himanta attended virtually from Delhi, it was decided to broaden the road connecting Guwahati's Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi airport to the city from four lane to six lane.

The Assam CM said a cabinet expansion will take place on December 7 when a few new ministers will take oath. Briefing about his series of meetings he had in the national capital, Sarma said during his interaction with Prime Minister Narendra Modi he had submitted proposals for approval of various projects worth Rs 1 lakh crore.

These projects include enhancement of capacity of Bongaigaon Refinery and Petrochemical Limited to five million tonne, expansion of the Namrup fertiliser plant at a cost of Rs 10,000 crore and Guwahati ring road projects.

Sarma said his government is also planning to built an expressway from Guwahati to Silchar through Meghalaya at a cost of Rs 25,000 crore which will reduce the travel time between the two cities to just five hours from the present 12 hours.