UP: Yogi Adityanath orders closure of slaughterhouses, bans cow smuggling

Lucknow: In line with the BJP's election manifesto, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath today directed police officials to prepare an action plan for closure of slaughter houses across the state.

The Lucknow Municipal Corporation soon swung into action and sealed nine meat shops in the state capital.

Adityanath also asked officials to ensure a blanket ban on smuggling of cows and said zero tolerance would be exercised in this regard, official sources said.

The sources, however, did not specify the type of slaughter houses which will be shut.

The BJP manifesto had said that all the illegal slaughter houses would be closed and there would be a blanket ban on all the mechanised slaughter houses.

While police and municipal authorities across the state have already started to crack down on illegal slaughter houses across the state with raids on many such units in most of the districts, the Lucknow Municipal Corporation today sealed nine meat shops in Mahanagar and Aliganj.

As per the LMC's estimate, there are approximately 200-250 meat shops that are running illegally in the city of Nawabs where foodies flock for mouth-watering 'kebabs' (a grilled meat dish).

Besides, not a single slaughter house in the city is authorised to function as the four the state capital had were all issued closure notices by the UP Pollution Control Board between 2013 and 2015.

One, which existed in the cantonment area, was sealed by the cantonment board, while the other three were in Motijheel, Aminabad and Kasaibada areas here.

"There are shops running in shanties which are not following norms. Such shops need to be regulated or closed down," Chief Veterinary Officer LMC AK Rao.

Adityanath directed senior police officials to step up patrolling in in cities, towns and state highways in the night hours to curb incidents of loot and theft.

He also urged senior officials to monitor the patrols. "In a meeting with senior bureaucrats of the state, the CM has made it very clear that any compromise with the issue of law and order won't be tolerated," party spokesperson Shrikant Sharma said.

He said officials have also been told to prepare a road map for the next five years for the state as per the party manifesto.