The Varanasi municipal body has approved a plan to shift meat and fish shops to the outskirts of the city

The civic association decided to relocate the meat and fish markets to the outskirts of the city. | Photo credit: KR Deepak

The Varanasi Municipal Corporation has decided to shift all meat and fish shops operating within the city limits to designated locations on the outskirts of the city as part of efforts to improve governance and cleanliness in the city, officials said on Sunday.

The proposal was approved in a meeting of the governing body of the city corporation held on Saturday (June 6, 2026) at the Town Hall building in Maidagin under the chairmanship of Mayor Ashok Kumar Tiwari, Public Relations Officer Sandeep Srivastava added. Mr. Srivastava said that comprehensive discussions were held on various aspects of the development of the city, during which the members supported the initiative to systematically shift the meat and fish markets to the peripheral areas of the city. Municipal Commissioner Himanshu Nagpal told the gathering that five sites have been earmarked in the initial phase of the project. These sites have been located near the outer limits of the city to reduce inconvenience to residents, city corporation officials said.

Improving hygiene

As per the plan, the meat and fish shops currently located in the city would be shifted to Ramnagar, Sujabad, Ganeshpur, Avleshpur and Shivpur in the near future, officials said. The initiative aimed to improve hygiene and optimize the functioning of such markets while ensuring that consumers continue to have access, they added. Mr. Srivastava said that there are currently around 350 to 400 meat and fish shops operating in the city.

During the meeting, corporator Gulshan Ali mentioned that a proposal to relocate meat and fish shops outside the city limits was made almost a year ago, but effective implementation was yet to take place. Responding to traders’ concerns, Mr. Ali noted that the annual closure of meat shops during the holy month of Shravan has significantly affected the livelihood of individuals involved in the meat trade. In response to this problem, the city representative assured the council that land on the outskirts of the city had already been selected and that the process of implementing the proposal would begin soon.

While calling the move unconstitutional, the Congress said the decision was part of a larger plan by the ruling dispensation to bring about uniformity in society. “First, such a decision is against the right to livelihood, which is the fundamental right to earn a living with dignity, and means that it will deprive a large population of the means of survival. Second, the decision is part of a larger plan to impose uniformity on Hindu society. Bali chadhana (animal sacrifice) is a traditional ritual practiced primarily in many areas of Shakta, with tantric traditions in India, in such imposing tantric traditions throughout. the city is wrong,” said Congress national secretary Shahnawaz Alam.

Published – 07 June 2026 17:40 IST