India, Dec. 24 -- Following the Punjab government's declaration of three cities, including the Walled City of Amritsar, as holy cities, authorities have begun preparations to remove shops and street vendors selling meat, fish, eggs, liquor and tobacco products from the old city area surrounding the Golden Temple and Akal Takht.

A recent survey conducted by the municipal corporation identified 110 such shops and vendors within the old city limits, though complete data on grocery shops selling eggs, tobacco and tobacco is still being compiled. According to the survey, the Telephone Exchange area has seven meat shops and carts and one pan-bidi kiosk, while Katra Jaimal Singh has one egg cart, two pan-bidi kiosks, one meat shop, one pan shop...