Vijay Rupani: 500m-radius of Somnath, Ambaji temples now ‘veg zone’

Local Hindu organisations have been demanding a complete ban on sale and consumption of non-vegetarian food around Somnath temple since long.

The demand is on the lines of Palitana temples of Jainism in Bhavnagar where the government had imposed a complete ban on sale and consumption of non-vegetarian food.

The local municipality had even passed a resolution in April last year with regard to declaring ‘vegetarian zone’ in at least 3-kilometre area around the Somnath temple located in Prabhas Patan in Gir Somnath district.

The municipality claimed that local administration and police supported their demand.

The government’s latest decision means bringing back the 2006 notification passed by the then collector of Junagadh district when Somnath temple was a part of that district.

The then collector had issued a notification, banning sale and consumption of non-vegetarian food within 500-metre radius of the temple.

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister at the cultural programme announced an increase in financial assistance per cattle from Rs 25 to Rs 35 to all panjrapols in 96 drought-hit areas mostly in Kutch and Banaskantha districts from February till June.