Gurugram authorities inspect meat shops after Haryana govt orders immediate closure of unlicensed outlets

Haryana's government directs closure of unlicensed meat shops near religious sites, conducting inspections and demanding reports within a week.

Gurugram: The Haryana government’s directorate of urban local bodies on Thursday directed authorities to step up enforcement against unlicensed meat shops across all 22 districts and conduct inspection drives to immediately close such shops.

The directorate asked the authorities to submit an action taken report within one week. (Representative photo)

The directorate also asked the authorities to submit an action taken report within one week.

“It has also been observed with concern that some such establishments are functioning in proximity to religious places and other public areas, thereby causing public nuisance, sanitation concerns, and inconvenience to the general public,” the order read.

On Friday, teams from the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG), along with the local police, began inspections near temples, schools, and colleges to ensure the closure of meat shops.

A MCG official said teams also conducted inspections on Sohna Road and in Sectors 46, 9, 10A, and 53, and found that a majority of meat shops were shut.

“Regular inspections are taking to place to ensure that no meat shops remain open in close proximity to religious sites and near educational institutes due to concerns raised by the residents,” said Ashish Singhla, chief medical officer, MCG.

An HT spot check on Friday afternoon also found all licensed and unlicensed meat and biryani shops in Badshahpur, Prajapti road, Sector 66, 46, 11, and 53 shut, with many legal shop owners deciding to shut down their establishments on their own.

Tahseen Khan, 24, a resident of Uttar Pradesh’s Muradabad, said their biryani and meat shop on Sohna road will remain shut during the nine days of Navratris. “The local police and municipal authorities visited our shop last night to instruct closures,” he said.

According to MCG officials, only shops with proper paperwork, including GST registrations, adequate and covered freezers, and hygienic conditions are granted licenses to sell meat. “The licenses are given in a week, provided the applicants meet the criteria and furnish the paperwork in a timely manner,” Singhla said, adding that currently around 490 licensed meat shops exist in the district.

Meanwhile, the urban local bodies minister, Vipul Goel, issued a press statement demanding an immediate ban on meat shops near “sensitive locations” in all municipal areas of the state during Navratri.

“No meat shop can be opened without prior permission from the licensing authority of the concerned local body,” the minister said.

A recent survey conducted by the Urban Local Bodies (ULB) department found a majority of about 3,000 meat shops operating in the district without valid licenses.