Thursday, 16 March 2023 | PNS | DEHRADUN
The Urban Development Directorate (UDD) director Navneet Pandey has directed the municipal commissioners of Rishikesh and Haridwar to take action against the rampant illegal slaughter and sale of non-vegetarian products in Rishikesh and Haridwar in violation of Supreme Court order. The director has stated in a letter to the commissioner of the Municipal Corporation of Rishikesh (MCR) that the corporation passed a proposal in a board meeting on April 11 last year to allow the sale of meat in the city which is against the rules. He has ordered the MCR to immediately cancel the proposal and take necessary action against the sale of meat in the city.
Addressing the Haridwar commissioner in the same letter, Pandey has asked him to take action against the rampant prohibited slaughter and sale of meat in the city. He has asked both municipal bodies to take measures to remove such establishments that sell meat or meat products from their respective areas as per the Supreme Court judgement of March 9, 2004 or it will be considered a willful disobedience and contempt of the judgment and law of the land by allowing rampant illegal slaughter and sale of non-vegetarian products.
The directorate issued this letter to both the corporations on Tuesday on the complaint of Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) member Rubina Nitin Iyer. She had stated in her complaint that the slaughter and sale of non-vegetarian products is thriving in Muni Ki Reti, Rishikesh and Haridwar but no action is being taken by the officials concerned. She alleged that the municipal bodies have rather issued NOCs to meat shops to carry out their business. However, she said, the executive officer of Muni Ki Reti has clarified to the directorate that they have not issued any NOC for meat shops. He said that there is no meat shop operating legally in the Muni Ki Reti-Dhalwala area and they regularly conduct inspections to take action against those operating illegally, added Iyer.
“There are over 35 meat shops in Haridwar most of which are located in the Jwalapur area. We have not even counted all the small meat shops running in small colonies and lanes. Several meat shops can also be found in the Indiranagar area of Rishikesh,” said Iyer. She said that if MCR and MCH do not take appropriate action in compliance with the SC order, she would go to court against these violations.
