The Hindu                25.04.2013

Meat shops violating Mahavir Jayanthi closure penalised

Chennai Corporation on Wednesday identified 73 shops
that violated the government order prohibiting slaughter of animals on
the occasion of Mahavir Jayanthi.

Over 710 kg of meat was seized from stalls that refused to toe the line hours after having been warned by corporation officials.

Butchers
in areas including Korukkupet and Villivakkam had objected to the
action by Corporation officials who tried to stop them from selling meat
products citing the order that prohibited slaughter of animals or sale
of meat in the State on Mahavir Jayanthi, Thiruvalluvar day and Vallalar
Memorial day.

Around 1,900 meat shops in Chennai
Corporation limits remained closed on Wednesday as slaughterhouses in
the city did not function.

Though slaughterhouses in
areas such as Perambur, Saidapet and Villivakkam remained closed, a
number of complaints were received from residents in areas such as
Kodambakkam, Ambattur and Villivakkam.

The Chennai
Corporation had warned butchers of action against carrying out business
on Mahavir Jayanthi. “But many of the shopkeepers said they were not
aware of the order of the government prohibiting the slaughter of
animals and sale of meat on Mahavir Jayanthi,” said an official of
Chennai Corporation.

“We were asked to give warning
to shops in the morning. We took action against shops that remained open
one hour after the warning was issued,” the official said.