DINAMALAR NEWS

‘Govt must start slaughter at Goa meat complex’

MARGAO: Former PWD minister Churchill Alemao on Saturday demanded that the state government immediately commence the full-fledged functioning of the slaughtering of cattle at the Goa meat complex so as to provide beef to its consumers at affordable rates instead of being sold at its present exhorbitant rates.

Pointing out to the ban on beef imposed in neighbouring Maharashtra, Alemao said, "Cows are sacred to the Hindu community and we should respect their religious sentiments, but, what about the buffaloes and bulls? Although many governments have changed, none discriminated on the grounds of one's personal eating habits affecting one's religious sentiments. This is a major issue affecting Catholics who will resume consuming beef after the present Lent season. Similarly, Muslims, too,

consume beef that is now available between 280 and 300 per kilo."

"The government should immediately step in and provide some respite to the meat suppliers by importing the meat from outside the state instead of directing the traders to obtain a certificate while procuring the beef from Belagavi in Karnataka as the meat of the bovines there is not edible or hygienic. This is a very shameful decision and will affect the livelihood of the traders as well as the economically backward who cannot afford mutton," stated Alemao.

The former South Goa MP also demanded a halt to the manufacture of leather items made from cattle hide such as shoes, etc, as he informed that he would be submitting a memorandum to the chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar on Monday.