Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday announced a statewide ban on the serving and consumption of beef in restaurants, hotels, and public places. The decision was taken during a cabinet meeting held virtually, which the Chief Minister attended from Delhi.
“We have decided to ban serving and consumption of beef in restaurants, hotels, and public places,” Sarma said at a press conference. He elaborated, “Earlier, we decided to stop eating beef near temples, but now we have expanded it to the entire state. From today, beef will not be served in any community place, public place, hotel, or restaurant.”
The cabinet meeting also approved the expansion of the road connecting Guwahati’s Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport to the city from four lanes to six lanes. Additionally, Sarma announced plans to build an expressway connecting Guwahati to Silchar via Meghalaya at an estimated cost of Rs 25,000 crore.
In a separate development, the Chief Minister confirmed a cabinet expansion scheduled for December 7, during which new ministers will be inducted.
The announcement of the beef ban drew sharp comments from Assam Minister Pijush Hazarika, who challenged the opposition Congress party. “I challenge the Assam Congress to welcome the beef ban or go and settle in Pakistan,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).