Conceding to the demand of the locals to the State Government to stop construction of an abattoir in Haridwar, the Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat has ordered the district administration to cancel its permission.
Talking to The Pioneer at his residence on Saturday, the CM said that the permission to set up the abattoir had been given in the year 2016 when Congress Government was in power. He said that the District Magistrate has already received the order to cancel the permission of the abattoir in Haridwar. The CM, further, said that the State Government would not give permission in future for slaughter house in any part of the State.
The order of the CM has assumed significance when seen against the backdrop of Haridwar Rural MlA Swami Yatishwaranand and laksar MlA Sanjay Gupta having strongly pitched for the prompt cancellation of the license given for the slaughter house coming up at Manglaur. Both the MlAs have been vociferous for long against the decision of the administration to grant permission for the slaughter house. The State Tourism and Culture Minister Satpal Maharaj also lent his full weight behind the MlAs in their staunch opposition to the construction of the abattoir. The Minister said repeatedly that Uttarakhand being Dev Bhoomi, the Government should stop slaughter houses from coming up.
The process to set up a slaughter house at Manglaur in Haridwar district had been initiated in 2014. A sproposal for it had been passed in the Manglaur municipal board and then Congress-helmed Government had given its go- ahead to the proposal in 2016. Interestingly, the budget for the slaughter house has been released recently, something which triggered a row as the two BJP MlAs Gupta and Yatishwaranand vented anger. The MlAs even opened a front against the Government run by their own party and demanded action against the officials responsible for clearing the budget of the slaughter house in Haridwar while invoking the religious significance of the place for the Hindus.
They had further threatened a full-blown movement if the State Government failed to step in. Importantly, the former Bahujan Samaj MlA from Manglour, Sarvat Karim Ansari has also opposed the construction of the slaughter house in the area.