Overview
- The state released the district-wise ODOC roster Thursday with only vegetarian items, leaving out well-known non-veg staples such as Lucknow’s kebabs, Awadhi biryani and Rampur’s mutton korma.
- Food historian Pushpesh Pant called the all-veg lineup a half-baked move and accused the plan of selective discrimination against non-vegetarian traditions.
- State leaders, including MSME minister JPS Rathore and cabinet minister Rakesh Sachan, said there was no intent to exclude meat and that districts can add dishes later based on local recommendations.
- The programme carries Rs 150 crore in funding with a one-time subsidy of up to 25% capped at Rs 20 lakh to help artisans upgrade packaging, branding, training and sales.
- The list maps each district to signature snacks and sweets—Agra petha and dalmoth, Meerut revdi and gajak, Varanasi thandai and kachori—using the ODOP-style model to market local food businesses.