Slaughterhouses and shops selling meat and fish in urban areas of Madhya Pradesh shall remain closed on January 22, the day the consecration ceremony of the Ram temple is to take place in Ayodhya, officials said on Saturday.

The urban development department has issued a directive to civic bodies to ensure that meat shops and slaughterhouses remain closed on January 22, said a government release.

A special cleanliness drive will also be undertaken in all urban areas, including in temple premises, on the occasion of the Ram Mandir `pran pratishtha' ceremony, it said.

Urban Development Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya has asked local bodies to ensure maximum participation of people and public representatives in the drive, the release added.

The BJP government in the state has already declared a half-day for government offices and holiday for schools and colleges on January 22.

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