Panchkula, Sept. 13 -- The Panchkula municipal corporation's (MC) order banning the sale, purchase and slaughter of meat in Mansa Devi Complex (MDC) may soon be challenged in the Punjab and Haryana high court. Many shopkeepers in the area, engaged in the meat business, told HT on Thursday that they were preparing to move court. Interestingly, most of them said they came to know about the ban through newspapers as no written or verbal communication has been made to them so far. As a result, their outlets remained open and customers continued to purchase meat products. Raminder Singh, owner of a non-vegetarian food outlet in Sector 5, MDC, questioned how the administration would ensure that delivery apps like Swiggy and Zomato do not supply non-vegetarian items in the "holy area." He added that his shop is located nearly 2.5 km from the temple, yet the order is being applied across almost the entire MDC, which he termed a violation of rights. Another shopkeeper said MDC was developed on HUDA land, and merely because a temple is located there, imposing a blanket meat ban on all sectors (Sectors 4, 5, 6) is unjustified. He also pointed out that non-vegetarian food is openly served at clubs in Sector 6. Several restaurateurs argued that maximum local residents are non-vegetarian. "Even if we stop serving, people will source meat from outside or cook at home. How will authorities check that?" they asked. Around 15-20 non-veg outlets operate in Sector 5 near Singh Dwar alone, besides others across MDC. They clarified that no slaughterhouses exist in the area; raw meat is usually sourced from Dhakoli (Zirakpur) and Chandigarh. Earlier, shopkeepers had challenged a similar notification issued in December 2022, and the Punjab and Haryana high court stayed the ban in April 2023. That case was disposed of in May 2025 after the government formally withdrew the notification. However, the civic body has now reintroduced the ban under the Haryana Municipal Corporation Act, after inviting objections in February this year. Shopkeepers insist they hold valid licences and pay hefty rents, with food business being the market's mainstay. They say switching trades is impossible and plan to fight the order in court again....