Last week, the Bihar government declared a ban on the sale of unlicensed meat and fish in urban areas, as stated by the Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha during the state legislative council discussions. He framed this decision as a step towards making cities cleaner and safer. The government has indicated that selling meat near educational institutions, religious sites, or crowded public spaces will be prohibited to prevent violence tendencies among children and enhance public health.

However, skepticism surrounds the government's commitment to enforcing this ban, considering Bihar's track record with previous regulations. For instance, despite a prohibition on alcohol, Bihar has one of the highest per capita consumption rates of illegal liquor in the country. This raises concerns about how effectively the new legal measures regarding meat and fish sales will be implemented and adhered to by vendors and the general populace.

The commentary suggests that while the intention behind the ban might aim at public health improvement, the reality on the ground, given Bihar's past compliance issues with similar laws, may render the initiative ineffective. Without proper infrastructures and strict enforcement mechanisms, the government's objective of promoting hygiene and reducing behavioral issues among youth may not be achievable in the foreseeable future, leading to questions about the real motivations behind this ban.