Gurugram: 22 illegal meat shops, two pop-up markets sealed

Two markets, one in Sector 37 and another on Pataudi Road, were closed; 15 shops were sealed in the process

The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) in its second drive against illegal meat shops in the city, sealed 22 such establishments on Monday.

MCG officials said they will continue with the sealing drive against illegal meat shops on Wednesday.

Officials also closed two makeshift markets at Sector 37 and Pataudi Road, respectively. In the process, 15 shops there were sealed—10 in Khandsa village, four in Kherki Daula, and eight shops in Mohmadpur Jharsa.

The MCG has been acting against illegal meat shops since the time it received directions from Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar to take stringent measures against the establishments during the district grievance redressal committee meeting held on March 31.

During a meeting, Khattar was informed that the MCG had given licences to 129 traders against the permitted number of 82. He was also informed that during a district grievance redressal meeting in October 2017, he had himself directed the MCG to not issue licences to meat shop owners beyond the permissible limit.

“The MCG will continue to carry out drives against illegal meat shop owners who refuse to comply with the notices directing that they either get licences for the meat shops or relocate,” MCG medical officer Ashish Singla said.

In the first drive on April 4, 24 meat shops were sealed by the MCG—eight were sealed in the Feroz Gandhi Colony in Sector 9, five in Sector 39, four each in Sector 46 and Laxman Vihar in Sector 3A, and three in Krishna Colony in Sector 7.

On April 5, residents and councillor of Ward 23 Ashwini Sharma had submitted a memorandum to deputy commissioner Vinay Pratap Singh demanding shifting of meat shops outside the residential colonies of Hari Nagar, Shakti Park Colony and locations on Khandsa Road.

According to the MCG records, there are more than 120 meat shops operating without licences in the city and are, hence, deemed illegal. This despite the MCG sealing 370 meat shops and 175 roadside meat vendors in the last three months, officials said.