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Now, meat shops to be 150m away from religious places in Delhi
According to the policy, permission from the area councillor will be mandatory for obtaining a meat shop licence. At present, the civic agency gives licences to meat shops that are 100m away from religious places.
The South Delhi Municipal Corporation’s (SDMC) standing committee on Friday approved a policy, proposing a minimum distance of 150 metres between meat shops and religious places.
According to the policy, permission from the area councillor will be mandatory for obtaining a meat shop licence. At present, the civic agency gives licences to meat shops that are 100m away from religious places.
The 150m criterion will be applicable only for new licences issued by SDMC, ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), once the policy is passed by the house.
The policy states, “Considering the sentiments of people visiting religious places, the minimum distance between the meat shop and a temple/gurudwara/religious place/cremation ground should be at least 150 metres.”
The policy says the 150-metre distance norm from a mosque will be applicable in case of pork shops only. Licences to mutton/chicken/fish and buffalo meat shops can be granted even if they are situated less than 100 metres from a mosque provided that it is permitted by the Imam or managing committee of the mosque.
The distance of the religious place from the meat shop would be measured through the public pathway only.
The corporation also decided to increase the fee for granting of new licences from ₹5,000 to ₹7,000 and the annual renewal fee from ₹3,000 to ₹5,000 for meat shops. Anyone obtaining licences through fraudulent means or by misrepresenting facts and documents would be fined ₹1 lakh.
The policy prohibits slaughtering and sale of the meat of cow or its progeny. Shop owners will have to mandatorily display boards specifying if ‘halal’ or ‘jhatka’ meat was being sold at the shop.
“It would be compulsory for all meat shopkeepers to display a board outside shops, clearly indicating halal/jhatka/buffalo/pork meat,” the policy read. Carcasses should not be visible from outside.
Keeping in view public health, the civic body prohibits the sale of any kind of meat in open areas. Meat shops should have a concrete structure to be eligible to get a licence.
