The Bharatiya Janata Party government in Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday decided to declare Maheshwar, Amarkantak and notified areas of Ujjain as 'holy cities' where sale of liquor and non-vegetarian food, including eggs, will be banned.

The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting in Maheshwar chaired by Chief Minister Uma Bharti.

The Cabinet also decided to develop these places to promote tourism in the state, Bharti said.

The government has already decided to ban the sale of liquor and no-vegetarian items during the Ujjain Simhast Mela, Public Works Department Minister Kailash Vijaywargiya said.

After the notification of the above decision licences given to hotels and shops for selling liquor will get cancelled, he said.

Bharti also informed that the Cabinet would meet at regular intervals at places other than Bhopal.