Guwahati, Dec 4: The Assam government has taken a significant step by announcing a ban on the public consumption of beef in the state, as approved by the State Cabinet during its meeting in New Delhi on Wednesday.
This new provision adds to the existing Assam Cattle Preservation Act, 2021, which already restricts the slaughter, transportation, and sale of cattle.
The public consumption of beef is prohibited in hotels, restaurants, public functions, and community festivals. Private functions may be allowed to serve beef, but further clarifications are expected during the legislative session.
The ban will be formalized as an amendment to the Assam Cattle Preservation Act, 2021, in the upcoming legislative session.
“The Cabinet reviewed proposals made by Assam Congress chief Bhupen Kumar Borah and MP Rakibul Hussain, which influenced this decision,” Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma told reporters after the cabinet meeting in New Delhi.
The Assam Cattle Preservation Act, 2021 prohibits the slaughter of cows and regulates the slaughter of other cattle types. It also limits the sale of beef to locations at least 5 kilometres away from Hindu temples.
Sarma noted that the 2021 act was already stringent but lacked provisions banning public consumption of beef in festivals and hotels, which this new regulation addresses.
This decision is expected to spark political and social debates in Assam, with critics likely to question its impact on livelihoods and cultural practices.
The Chief Minister stated that he awaits responses from Borah and Hussain, underscoring the political undertones of the move.
The formalization of this ban represents an intensification of Assam’s cattle preservation policies, reflecting broader national conversations around the regulation of beef consumption.
