Expressing solidarity with the striking meat traders of lucknow, meat sellers in Ghaziabad went on an indefinite strike against the district administration’s order to shut their shops. District administration has issued orders for the closure of meat shops in the district.
“Our families have started to starve, we decided to go on strike outside collectors office,” said Yaad Ilahi Querrshi, the president of the meat traders association. Quereshi said that he owns a shop outside New Ghaziabad railway station and possessed valid license from municipal corporation but two days ago Kavi Nagar police station incharge came and ordered to shut the shop”. We have complied with the instructions but officials should come to verify our papers, he added.
“Our demand is that those possess legal licenses should be allowed to sell meat and poultry items. But the administration is not heeding to our demands, Quereshi said.
Meanwhile, District Magistrate (DM) Nidhi Kesarwani said, “No shop will be allowed to sell meat in open”. The DM said that district administration was devising a mechanism for a single window clearance for license seekers.
Five mechanised slaughter houses in Ghaziabad are not being closed down. Administration has cracked down on 21 illegally run abattoirs. Apart from that the meat traders also didn’t renew their licenses, the DM added.
It may be recalled that National Green Tribunal (NGT) had ordered to close such shops that were running in violation of the law. Administration has closed only those slaughter houses that were being run in contravention of the law. The legally run slaughter houses will run without any difficulty, said another district official.