PUNE: The urban development ministry has sought information from all state governments about the functioning of slaughterhouses and if the enforcement standards laid down by the Bureau of Indian Standards regarding disposal of animal waste and slurry, as well as ante-mortem and post-mortem inspection of meat animals, are being complied with. The ministry has also sought information whether the state governments have formed the state committees to oversee the functioning of slaughterhouses.
The Supreme Court had in August 2012, in response to a writ petition, directed state governments to form committees. The apex court had issued the directions for effective implementation of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Establishment and Registration of Societies for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) Rules 2000, provisions of the Environment Protection Act, and Solid Wastes (Management and Handling Rules) 2000.
Among the functions of the state committees would be to identify and prepare a list of slaughterhouses located within municipal corporations, councils or other local self government bodies, call for reports from the district magistrate, deputy commissioners or district food safety inspectors on the compliance of applicable laws, recommend modernisation of old slaughterhouses, relocation of slaughterhouses that are located near residential areas and recommend measures to deal with solid waste as well as water and air pollution.
The committees would also have to carry out surprise and random inspections of slaughter houses and issue directions, check child labour, and continuously identify and crack down on unlicensed slaughter houses, and unlawful establishments where animals are being slaughtered howsoever on a small scale. The committees would have to as well as send bi-annual reports on the state of slaughter houses to the central committee.
The committees would be headed by secretary of the state urban development department and would have members from the departments of health, animal husbandry, labour, food safety commissioner representing Central Food Safety and Standard Authority of India, state pollution control board, animal welfare board, state police, as well as other officers and experts. Secretary of the ministry of urban development department would be the nodal officer who will coordinate with the state committees and get information about the functioning of slaughter houses.
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