The operation of the first state-of-the-art abattoir is set to get delayed further. Wedged in tender procurement process since long, the much awaited project of the Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) will get deferred for sometime more even after having completed its civil work long back. The abattoir situated at Arsande, Kanke somewhere around 12 Km away from the district headquarters has been waiting to get an operator since March 2017.
The RMC has floated tender for four times to get an operator for the abattoir but no bidder turned up given the technical issues in managing the hi-tech machines.
Municipal Commissioner, Shantanu Kumar Agrahari stating about the status of the first modern abattoir said, “As soon as we get a suitable bidder fulfilling all the technical know-how criteria, we will immediately start the project. Constant efforts are being put to rope in the suitable civil management consultancy firm that will both operate and manage the abattoir accordingly.”
“The Civic Body has also eased the norms for the bidders. The fifth tender will be opened on December 7. After easing the terms and conditions (T&C) of the contract, we are hoping of engaging a suitable agency for this project. In three attempts, none of the bidder showed interest while even after changing the clause for the fourth time, no agency turned up. However, we are positive this time.”
Deputy Mayor, Sanjiv Vijayawargia had earlier said that due to highly mechanized setup and tedious maintenance issue, none of the civil management consultancies are trying their hands at this project that involves technical adeptness in details in preserving the entire setup. The abattoir has been designed by KK Narsaria firm at a cost of Rs 15.55 crore.
Earlier KK Narsaria’s firm which has designed the hi-tech abattoir in consultation with other civil construction and designing company was supposed to manage the abattoir however due to lack of experience in managing the slaughter house setups, the firm was not handed the responsibility of running and maintaining the abattoir.
Meanwhile, the project of constructing mini-slaughter houses within municipal periphery appears to have been shelved. The municipal corporation even after the nine months of closure of all illegal slaughter houses in urban area is yet to obtain application for setting up mini-slaughter houses. The civic body was likely to construct 10 mini-slaughter houses taking into account the distance issue that has been raised predominately by the chicken and meat seller’s association members frequently.
According to the newly approved guidelines of municipal licence (for sale of flesh, fish and poultry), regulation, 2017, all poultry sellers have to sell only those poultry products which are properly slaughtered at an abattoir under the supervision of veterinary doctors. Marking of the slaughtered animals was also made obligatory under the norms as a symbol of health mark.