The Allahabad High Court recently sought responses from the Centre and State governments on plea seeking to remove illegal operation of meat shops and slaughterhouses in Ghaziabad.
A division bench comprised of Chief Justice Pritinker Diwaker and Justice Saumitra Dayal Singh was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Ghaziabad Councilor Himanshu Mittal.
Appearing for the petitioner, Advocate Akash Vashishtha alleged that the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006, the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960, the Environmental Protection Act 1986, and various guidelines issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change were completely violated at these meat shops in the city.
It was also claimed that just 17 out of 3,000 meat stores and slaughterhouses in Ghaziabad have the required licenses under Section 31 of the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006.
According to the plea, none of the meat businesses or slaughterhouses have the required consent to create and function under Section 25 of the Water Act. Furthermore, the ongoing mistreatment to animals is in contravention of existing regulations, he added.
Reliance was placed on the direction of the Supreme Court in Laxmi Narain Modi v. Union of India (2014) wherein the Court had constituted a committee on slaughterhouses in each state. However, it was submitted by the Councilor that such committees are completely inoperative throughout the state.
After hearing the matter, the bench issued notice to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), Animal Welfare Board of India, Commissioner of Food Safety, Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation, UP Pollution Control Board and Central Pollution Control Board.
The division bench sought their responses by May 3,2023.
