Hyderabad: In a major crackdown, GHMC food inspectors found unstamped meat in various hotels, including Minerva Grand on SD Road, Sohail, Malakpet, Paradise at Sadan crossroads and Astoria at RTC crossroads. The crackdown comes in the wake of the municipal corporation's recent instructions to hotel managements and meat shops to procure only stamped meat from GHMC slaughterhouses.
Fines were levied on several restaurants on Monday. GHMC closed down Sagar restaurant in Shapurnagar because the restaurant, and especially the kitchen, was found to be unhygienic. The raids in Secunderabad started at Minerva Grand Hotel, SD Road, which was fined Rs 10,000 for unhygienic maintenance. At Sohail Hotel in Malakpet, meat bought from illegal slaughterhouses was found and a fine of Rs 40,000 imposed and the mutton seized.
“Instructions to hotels and restaurants were iss-ued in March directing them to purchase meat only from GHMC slaughterhouses. Despite quality meat available from slaughterhouses, most hotels and shopkeepers buy meat from private butchers, violating rules. Food inspectors under section 674 of HMC Act are authorised to seize these,” a GHMC food inspector said. GHMC has slaughterhouses in Amberpet, Chengicherla, Ramnasthpura, New Bhoiguda Gowlipura, and charges Rs 25 for slaughtering a sheep or goat.
