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.
