In the recently held board meeting of the municipal council Shivalik Nagar, a resolution was passed to ban unauthorised animal slaughter and meat sale. Following the directives of the chairman of the civic body, Rajeev Sharma, a team has been formed which has been assigned with the task of stopping the unauthorised shops from selling meat.
The chairman further said that a drive would be carried out this week to check the growth of such unauthorised meat shops in the municipal council area.
The action followed a clutch of complaints received by the municipal council, saying that the number of unauthorised meat sellers was rising in several areas like Subhash Nagar, Ram Dham, Navodaya Nagar, Tehri Vishthapit Colony and some parts of Rawli Mehdood-all under the jurisdictional purview of Shivalik Nagar municipal council.
A drive to identify such vendors would be launched during which the meat vendors would be slapped with notices on the spot. “If they do not shut down such vends within 15 days on receiving such notices, they would be made to face music as per the law.
Those found to be violating the rules by illegally slaughtering animals and selling their meat would have the civic body officers seizing the meat and shutting such shops. Besides, FIRs would be lodged against those found continuing to violate the rules,” said a municipal council officer .
Speaking to The Pioneer, executive engineer Shivalik Nagar municipal council, Gurmeet Singh said, “We would launch the vigilance drive and identify the offenders later this week. The unauthorised meat vendors would be slapped fines for polluting the surroundings too.”
The chairman of the municipal council Rajeev Sharma said, “The board has given its seal on enforcing an utter ban on animal slaughter and selling of meat in the unauthorised shops. Soon checking drive would be launched in hotels and dhabas, serving the meat dishes, too.”
Notably, there is not a single authorised slaughter house in the city from where the meat vendors can buy and sell the meat.
Hence, the district food safety department has not issued licence to a single vendor.
As per the norms, the department issues licence to those vendors alone who buy meat from the authorised abattoir.
The food safety officer, Rajendra Pal Singh, said that the administration and the police alone are mandated to shut down such unauthorised meat shops. “It is not our work,” he added.