Circular asking BBMP to order slaughterhouses to ‘stun’ animals kept in abeyance

A senior animal husbandry department official said an unofficial gag order has been issued on the topic, according to a report in a leading daily.

An order from the Karnataka Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services Department asking BBMP to ask slaughterhouses to ‘stun’ animals has been kept on ice for the time being.

In a circular, the Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services has asked the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to ensure the facilities to stun the animals are in place before giving licences to meat shops. (HT File)

Reports claim that an unofficial gag order has been passed on the circular. Late on April 3, an oral order from animal husbandry minister had asked for the circular to be kept in abeyance.

Speaking to a leading daily, a senior animal husbandry department official said an unofficial gag order has been issued on the topic.

Earlier, Karnataka Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services Department has asked the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to direct all slaughterhouses and chicken shops in the city to ensure that animals are "stunned" mandatorily, before they are slaughtered for meat. It has asked the civic body to check the stunning facility, while issuing licences for slaughterhouses and chicken shops.

Though such a communication is said to be a routine affair, it has come amidst controversy around right-wing groups giving a call to boycott 'halal' meat amidst Ugadi festivities.

Citing the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Slaughter House) Rules, 2001, in a letter dated April 1, the Deputy Director of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services, Bengaluru Urban district, has written a letter to BBMP for ensuring stunning of animals before they are slaughtered for meat. Stating that the department has received complaints from the public that the rules are not being followed, it asked BBMP to direct all slaughterhouses and chicken shops in the city to make sure that animals are stunned mandatorily and are unconscious, before they are slaughtered.

Further, asking the civic body to check about the stunning facility while issuing licences for slaughterhouses and chicken shops, it has asked the BBMP to report to the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), Bengaluru Urban, about the action taken. Recently some right-wing groups had given a call to boycott 'halal' meat, ahead of 'varshadodaku', the day after Ugadi (today), when many communities in the state have a non-vegetarian feast. BJP national general secretary C T Ravi had even called halal food "economic jihad".

With inputs from PTI