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Licence renewal of meat shops violating norms put on hold by PMC
A majority of these shops are butchering animals inside their own premises without checking the health of the animals before killing them
As the majority of meat shops in Pune city are selling ‘uninspected’ meat of small animals such as goats and sheep which poses a health hazard for the public and flouting the Maharashtra Municipal Corporation Act, 1949, guidelines, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has put on hold the renewal of these shops’ licenses.
Rules mandate that all meat offered for sale or distribution must be inspected to ensure a safe meat supply for consumers and reduce the probability of food-borne illnesses. It is also compulsory for meat shops in the city to register themselves with the PMC and slay animals, both large and small, at slaughterhouses. However, most meat shops in the city have been found to be violating the rules.
Dr Sarika Funde, veterinary head, PMC, said that several meat shops have mushroomed in the city, especially after the 34 new villages were merged with the civic body. “It is mandatory to kill the animals at the slaughterhouse for selling the meat. This makes sure that the meat of the animals is safe for consumption. The veterinarian and gazette officer from the state government are present at the slaughterhouse to examine the animal before slaughtering,” Dr Funde said.
“The team conducts an ante-mortem test of the animals before they are slaughtered. The animals are also examined for illnesses and zoonotic diseases. If they are found to be suffering from any of the illnesses, they are rejected for slaughter,” she said.
Arjun Bhujbal, joint commissioner, FDA (food), Pune region, reiterated that it is mandatory for animals to be put down at the slaughterhouse only so that consumers get the right and safe meat. “It is recommended that the animals be killed only at the slaughterhouse and after the veterinarian has examined them. We also take action against meat shops that slay animals inside their own premises without checking the health of the animals. However, we are short-staffed, and the PMC can take action and should not wait for the FDA to take action,” he said.
A total 647 meat shops, including 249 chicken, 158 mutton, 153 beef (buffalo meat), 69 fish, and 18 pork shops are registered with the PMC. The corporation has a big slaughter house at Kondwa and two modular slaughterhouses at Bhavani Peth and Nana Peth. Together, the three facilities have the capacity to kill as many as 200 large animals (buffaloes) and 350 small animals (goats and sheep). The slaughtering charges are Rs280 per large animal and Rs15 per small animal. While large animals are butchered in the slaughterhouse only, the problem arises in the case of small animals. Only 220 to 230 small animals are killed at the slaughterhouse however the meat of nearly 1,200 goats and sheep is sold in the city daily, as per civic officials. Many meat shops in the city are operating with Shop Act and/or Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) licenses however it is mandatory for all meat shops operating within the PMC limits to obtain a PMC license even if they have Shop Act and/or FSSAI license/s.
Dr Bhagwan Pawar, health officer, PMC, said, “We have decided to decentralise the work for renewal, registration and inspection of the meat shops in the PMC limits. The request for the decentralisation work has been placed before the commissioner of the PMC. The health officers from the ward offices will visit the meat shops for inspection.”
Dr Pawar informed that health officers visit the meat shops and check criteria such as tiling, water connection, lights, ventilation and hygiene. “We aim to make sure that the meat shops in the PMC limits sell safe and inspected meat to the consumers to avoid the probability of food-borne illnesses,” he said.
