Kochi: In a major order, the Kerala High Court on Friday asked the local bodies in the state to close all illegal meat vending stalls and slaughterhouses. “No slaughtering shall be permitted anywhere unless butchers licence or slaughter house licence has been issued” the court observed. Justice A. Muhammed Mustaque passed the order on a batch of petitions filed by various meat vending merchants in various panchayats and municipalities challenging closure of their stalls without prior notice.
Though the state had decided in 2009 itself to close down illegal vending stalls, they continued to function in the state. The High Court also asked the police to provide necessary assistance to implement the order if any local self-government institutions approached them.
The High Court made it clear that secretary, local self-government department, should take an appropriate decision to establish publicslaughter houses in consultation with the expert committee constituted for implementation of modernisation of existing slaughterhouses.
Counsel representing panchayaths, municpalities and corporations informed the court that they lacked funds to establishing slaughterhouses. According to them, some vendors are making use of the stay order against auctioning of meat stalls in the markets of local bodies by operating illegal vending areas.
The court observed that the Kerala Panchayat Raj Act mandates that a village panchayat may provide places for public slaughterhouses and stalls. It was for the government to decide the issue relating to the public slaughterhouse if any local bodes did not have financial to set up the slaughterhouses. The Suchitwa Mission of the Local Self-government department, in its report had suggested the option of having common slaughterhouses for more than one local bodies.
