The much-awaited abattoir designed on Italian model may again face operational obstacle even after receiving the ‘Consent-to-Operate’ letter from the Jharkhand State Pollution Control Board (JSPCB) as the civic body is yet to rope in a suitable company for its operation-cum-maintenance. The abattoir situated at Arsande, Kanke, was under construction since 2012 and has been waiting to get operator since March 2017.
Deputy Mayor, Sanjiv Vijayawargia said that until operation cum maintenance matter is not sorted out, the abattoir at Kanke will not be made serviceable. “Even after floating the tender few months back, none of the operators has turned up yet for operation cum maintenance of the abattoir. For the second time, the Municipal Corporation has again invited application from different bidders and the process will take some time,” added Vijayawargia.
The Deputy Mayor termed that due to highly mechanised setup and tedious maintenance issue, none of the civic management consultancies are trying hands at this project that involves technical know-how in preserving the entire setup. The date for official inauguration of abattoir designed by KK Narsaria firm at a cost of Rs 15.55 crore is yet to be disclosed by the Municipal Corporation officials.
Besides, KK Narsaria’s firm had tied up with some other corporate house in designing the abattoir and due to lack of experience in managing the slaughter house setups, the concerned organisation has not been given the additional responsibility of retaining the abattoir.
As per the tender clause, the operator will be handed over the project for 10 years on lease. Furthermore, those having experience of at least two years in maintaining the Municipal Corporation’s slaughter house or any Government owned abattoir will be given preference.
Meanwhile, in wake of rising demands of meat and poultry sellers to open few mini-slaughter houses within municipal area to meet the requirements of people, Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) even after the three months of closure of all illegal poultry shops and slaughter houses in urban area is yet to obtain a single application for setting up mini-slaughter houses.
The civic body was supposed to construct 10 mini-slaughter houses given the distance issue that has been raised predominately by the chicken and meat seller’s association members frequently.
However, the civic body has not yet received a single application from any individual for setting up the mini slaughter houses in the city. Several poultry shop owners have claimed that due to stringent norms for both individual and an entity made for opening mini-slaughter houses is posing a hurdle for people for applying for licenses for mini slaughter house construction.
As per the rules made, all the mini slaughter houses must be equipped with latest machines, establishment of recycling plant at the mini slaughter house units beside keeping all the animals brought for slaughtering at an open space separately has been made mandatory under the regulations.
“The municipal corporation has yet not received any requisition from public for opening mini slaughter houses. As far as regulations are concerned, the rules have been drafted seeking the long term consequences where cleanliness has been kept on the top priority. Soon through rigorous drives, all the illegal chicken and meat shops will be closed down for violating the regulations of municipal licence act,” said, RMC Officer (PR), Naresh Kumar Sinha.
Even so, in the absence of proper abattoirs, the poultry shop owners are reluctant to open their outlets breaching the set guidelines of newly formulated municipal licence (for sale of flesh, fish and poultry), regulation, 2017.
According to the newly approved guidelines, all the poultry sellers have to follow the rules beginning from deploying veterinary doctors before slaughtering the animals for consumption as well as marking of the slaughtered animals has been made obligatory under the norms as a symbol of health mark.