Will allow only licensed slaughterhouses: UP CM Adityanath to meat traders
- by Virginia Carter
- in World Media
- — Mar 31, 2017
Replying to a related question from Owaisi, Union Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said: "What is being done in Uttar Pradesh is about illegal slaughterhouses".
Adityanath was addressing his first speech in the Lower House after being appointed as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.
"We are on strike and all the meat shops were closed today".
The mandal functionaries said that mutton and chicken markets in Hamirpur, Banda and Barabanki besides some other districts have also remained closed.
In eastern U.P., shortages of meat, especially mutton, were reported in various areas.
As a result, non veg food outlet, including the famous Tunday and Rahim's, who had shifted to mutton and chicken dishes after buffalo meat became scarce, too kept their shops shut.
Despite Uttar Pradesh Health Minister Siddharth Nath Singh's assurance yesterday that legal slaughterhouses will not be targeted, nearly half of those with valid licenses have also been temporarily shut down in the state, for violating some norm or the other.
Uttar Pradesh is the biggest producer of buffalo meat in the country, and exporters said the latest crackdown will hurt business.
Shops selling fish, egg and chicken were open in the state capital but there were not many buyers.
Other reports this week are quoting Indian Government officials saying the bans are only directed at illegal abattoirs.
The Uttar Pradesh government has also stressed that it was acting only against the illegal abattoirs.
The meeting took place on Thursday after traders' association members submitted a memorandum expressing their wish to meet with the Chief Minister to bring the standoff to an end.
The committee is visiting every slaughter house to see if they are being run legally and submitting a report every day. "If this norm is not complied with, then instead of ordering the closure of the slaughter house, a notice may be issued to its owner, and he be instructed to take necessary remedial steps within a specific time frame". We don't know how long it will continue. "We should work together to fulfil the promises of people", Adityanath said while addressing in Legislative Assembly.
Singh further said it was also a message to the officers not to overstep their jurisdiction and the mandate given by the state government.
