The ambitious slaughterhouse project of Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) at Kanke may take another two months time to be made fully operational. Reason: The project is yet to get No Objection Certificate (NOC) clearance from concerned departments.
Besides ensuring proper electricity supply at the first state-of-the-art abattoir based on Italian model, appointment of veterinary doctor is another major hindrance in starting the project in stipulated period. Doctor’s appointment has been lingering on since long and is one prime criterion to initiate the project.
“Essential documentation work like getting NOC for the project is yet to get complete. We are also waiting for the electricity supply. Though appointment of veterinary doctor is yet to be done but the process is not tedious as on adhoc basis initially the appointment will be made and the process hardly requires a week’s time. Rest all the basic amenities have been ensured and Town Commissioner is personally monitoring the work progress of the Capital City’s first slaughterhouse,” said, RMC Officer (Health), Kiran Kumari, hinting at further delay in the opening of the abattoir.
Notably, Mayor Asha lakra on March 23 inspected the slaughterhouse coming up in Arsande, Kanke, which will be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs15.55 crore. The project sanctioned in 2012 was stalled by residents’ protests. Finally, after much uproar the work resumed in 2015 and now after the ban on all illegal slaughter houses functioning across the city, the work gained pace considering the livelihood of thousands of butchers and meat/chicken shop owners.
lakra, after inspecting the site, had set April 2017 as deadline and had claimed that the slaughterhouse would be made operational looking at the demands of various meat shop owners who have been waiting to restart their business at the earliest.
On the other hand, meat shop owners, who have to abide by the rules of new by-laws which were drafted by the civic body after the ban on illegal slaughter houses a month back, are discontented with the arrangements being made by RMC. A number of meat shop owners have urged the officials claiming that the location is one prominent issue and must make some provision of mini slaughter houses until the slaughter house at Kanke is made ready.
“Now every meat shop owner has to go for veterinary doctor verification before slaughtering any animal and can be done only at the applicable place recognised under RMC. Before the compilation of the by-laws for the meat shop owners and for running a slaughter house, the civic body officials must have first brainstormed about the distance and the location,” lamented Naish Aalam, Meat-Chicken seller association member whose shop is closed down since March 2107.
The association members have also claimed that the proposal for alternate arrangement has been submitted to the Mayor. “We have requested the Mayor to make Sector-2, JP Market, HEC, Doranda Bazaar including the slaughter house located behind Guru Nanak school fully operational located within urban vicinity for now,” added Aalam.
However, RMC Health Officer has claimed that provision for mini slaughter houses is also being planned at ten places. Separate by-laws for mini slaughter houses have been outlined for the meat/chicken shop owners’ convenience.