The Times of India    11.08.2012

Patna’s modern slaughter house project in limbo

 PATNA: The Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) project of a modern slaughter house at Rama Chakberia on Patna-Gaya road is in limbo due to the agitation by residents of the area around the allotted land. Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) is looking for an alternative place to complete the Rs 26 crore slaughter house project.

The project of a modern slaughter house at Rama Chakberia on a 5-acre plot, to be monitored by the PMC, was approved by the central animal husbandry and fisheries department two years ago. "The state government had earlier allotted 70 acres land for garbage disposal and five acres for the construction of a modern slaughter house," said Ravindra Kumar Verma, chief engineer, PMC.

Verma said the PMC was no longer monitoring the existing slaughter house at Shahganj in Patna City area. The licence of the slaughter house was cancelled following a Patna high court order in 2011, he said. The locals have been demanding for its shifting to some other place.

According to the rules for construction of a slaughter house, an area of 5km around the site should have no human habitat. The allotted area is densely populated and the residents have been protesting the proposed slaughter house.

"The project will cost around Rs 26 crore. The central animal husbandry and fisheries department had released Rs 1.9 crore to the state government. But due to the locals protest, we could not take the no-objection letter from the pollution control board," said Verma.