The Hindu               23.07.2012

Political intervention thwarts bid to check illegal slaughtering

: Frequent political intervention and poor inter-departmental cooperation are thwarting civic bodies’ efforts to check illegal slaughtering.

The Local Self-Government Department, on the basis of a High Court order issued on August 12, 2009, had promulgated a set of 17 guidelines on September 17, 2009, to close down unauthorised meat vending points and unlicensed slaughterhouses.

Directives

Local Self-Government Institutions (LSGIs) were directed to ensure that slaughtering was carried out only by licensed persons and roadside vending on temporary stalls was banned. All District Collectors, Revenue Divisional Officers and other officers, including the police, were asked to take steps to prevent cruelty to animals in transit and ascertain the source from where cattle were brought to prevent unregulated flow of animals with contagious disease to the State. This was also aimed at preventing the sale of meat unfit for human consumption in the State.

The LSGIs were told to establish clean and hygienic slaughterhouses and also explore the possibility of setting up common slaughterhouses for neighbourhood panchayats. A veterinary doctor’s advice should be sought for managing the abattoirs. The police should provide adequate support sought by the LSGIs to exercise their powers under the Municipality Act and the Panchayati Raj Act.

The verdict had specified that all corporations and municipalities should file a report to the court about the total number of cases registered and the fine levied for violations of law, including unauthorised slaughtering and meat vending. Official sources told The Hindu here that poor inter-departmental coordination and political intervention in favour of the offenders were the main impediments in preventing illegal slaughtering and sale of meat.

The requests of the LSGI officials for joint action against such units were not being taken seriously by the Revenue and police officials. Such requests were often shrugged off on the premise of lack of staff and other serious official preoccupations. Hence, the officials of the civic bodies were forced to remain silent or go on their own. Such attempts do not yield the desired results too.

Instances of prominent leaders of the ruling and Opposition combines coming to the rescue of those held by the civic officials for violating the rules too were aplenty.