Meat shops: LDA ready with the chopper

HERE?S A meaty story. Ironically though, the non-vegetarians are unlikely to relish it. In what could be one of the biggest crackdowns of its kind, the LDA here initiated action against 150 meat shop owners in residential areas in compliance of a High Court order directing their closure.

HERE’S A meaty story. Ironically though, the non-vegetarians are unlikely to relish it.

HT Image

In what could be one of the biggest crackdowns of its kind, the LDA here initiated action against 150 meat shop owners in residential areas in compliance of a High Court order directing their closure.

“We had served notices on these meat shop owners immediately after the HC directive in this regard on January 4 and asked them to close down their shops within three days,” said Secretary LDA Vijay Yadav. Action is now being taken against those who have refused to comply with the order, he said adding that the court had given two weeks time to both the LDA and Lucknow Municipal Corporation to ensure compliance of its order.

“We had identified around 275 such meat shops/slaughter houses operating in various parts of the city. Out of this 94 are located in Hazratganj and its adjoining localities, 75 in Hussainganj area, 44 in Mahanagar and 24 in Gomti Nagar,” said an LDA official.

The prosecution proceedings, however, are being launched only against those who possess ‘pucca’ meat shops as the makeshift ones have already been confiscated by us, he explained.

What has created a piquant situation is that egged on by the court order the enforcement agencies are applying it to outlets selling dressed broiler chickens and eggs as well. Take for instance the case of Hasan Raza, who sells broiler chicken and eggs in Laxmanpuri. “I possess a license from the LMC for doing my business. The LMC license, which I had obtained on July 11, 2005 is valid till March 31, 2006, why should I be penalized for doing something that is not illegal,” lamented Raza, who has been told to shut shop by the LDA. Raza even offered to give a written undertaking on the issue but the authorities are not willing to risk their neck on the issue.

“There is no ambiguity on this count. Licenses of shops selling broiler chickens and eggs in residential areas too would be cancelled by us,” informed veterinary officer Dr AP Singh and added that the exercise was already underway.