UP’s Meat Exporters Mull Legal Options As Govt. Bans All Mechanized Slaughter Houses

With UP government announcing a ban on all mechanized slaughterhouses in the state, many meat exporters have found themselves in a bit of a fix as the new policy is at odds with the policy that Centre passed, granting many slaughterhouses “industry status”.

 

According to All India Meat and Livestock Exporters Association functionary, meat exporters are now considering to take legal action against the ban so as to save their livelihood.

“The Centre has granted industry status to slaughter houses and the food processing ministry too provides an aid of 50% to encourage them. But, the UP government has ordered ban on all mechanised slaughter houses… It is in contravention to the central government policy.”

UP’s new CM Yogi Adityanath on March 22 had directed UP police to prepare an action plan for the closure of slaughterhouses as it was one of the biggest promises in BJP’s election manifesto.

 

Yogi has also ordered a ban on smuggling of cows within the state and said there would be zero tolerance for offenders who break these laws.

 

While police and local municipal authorities have already started to crack down on illegal slaughterhouses within the state, the members of the association are worried.

While they “support banning illegal abattoirs,” they oppose the move to shut down “all the mechanized ones”.

The total ban on slaughterhouses will affect the livelihood of 25 lakh people directly or indirectly as UP accounts for nearly 50% of India’s total meat exports.