Not a single abattoir in Uttarakhand is legal, says state food safety dept

DEHRADUN: Officials of the state food safety department (FSD) have claimed that none of the 14 government slaughterhouses in Uttarakhand have got food safety licences from the Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and that all of them have been running illegally. “Meat samples from these abattoirs have never been checked by us, and therefore the safety of the meat is not certified,” said an official of FSD. The claim puts into question the standard of meat supplied in the state, one of the country’s richest in terms of per capita income, where almost 75% of the population (over 15 yrs old) is non-vegetarian as per the sample registration system baseline survey 2014.

Uttarakhand has 14 slaughter houses which are run under the aegis of urban and rural local bodies. Veterinary doctors from the state animal husbandry department are meant to ensure that animals being slaughtered are infection-free and the meat is fit for consumption before it is supplied in the market. However, citing shortage of staff and resources, the meat quality is hardly checked by the department, FSD officials said. They added that they have sent notices to these abattoirs periodically regarding their non-compliance of rules and have also filed a case against the health officers of urban local bodies in Dehradun and Mussoorie.

“None of the abattoirs in the state are adhering to the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and hence, we haven’t given them a license. Although notices have been sent, the concerned people have been ignoring them repeatedly,” said a senior official of FSD, Dehradun who did not wish to be named. SS Bisht, director, Uttarakhand animal husbandry department, when queried, said that the department “provides veterinary doctors to abattoirs as per the request of local bodies.” “Till now, we have provided permanent doctor to just one slaughter house based in Doon while for the rest, doctors go when called.” Dr Kailash Gunjyal, health officer, municipal corporation, Dehradun, had this take on the matter: “As per the previous arrangements, the local body had authority to give NOC as well as licence to the abattoirs. But since FSD gives licence now, the department is working at resolving the matter accordingly.”

Incidentally, taking a cue from the UP government, the Uttarakhand government had last week started clamping down on illegal abattoirs located at Haridwar. But the allegation of the government’s own abattoirs not adhering to norms, has put a question mark over the future of these slaughter houses. Reacting to the issue, Dehradun district food safety officer Anuj Thapliyal told TOI, “We have sent notices to the abattoirs in Dehradun and Mussoorie. Since the matter is currently sub-judice, these slaughter houses cannot be shut as of now.”

Meanwhile, meat traders and retailers in Dehradun said that they will protest if they incurred financial losses in the event of the slaughter houses being closed. “The abattoirs are being run by the government. Why should we suffer if the government has not followed norms,” said Naeem Quereshi, owner of a restaurant on Gandhi road.