Following complaint, GSPCB writes to Collector for necessary action; MMC begins process to identify illegal slaughterhouses
MARGAO
After beef, slaughtering of sheep/ goats in the Municipal areas of the State seemed to have come under the scanner of the authorities.
After the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) has written to the South Goa district Collector to initiate necessary action on illegal slaughtering of sheep/ goats, the district authorities have dashed off letters to the Chief Officers of the Municipal bodies in South Goa district.
GSPCB Member Secretary Sanjeev Joglekar has drawn attention of the district Collector, South to the complaint received from Dr P Nagvenkar in respect of the illegal slaughtering of sheep/ goats in the site. The GSPCB Member Secretary also drew attention of the district Collector to the 2015 judgement of the National Green Tribunal, wherein directions were issued to the State authorities to take action against the illegal slaughtering in Goa.
In response to the GSPCB’s letter, Deputy Collector, Velton P Tellis has written to the Chief Officers of the eight Municipal Councils located in South Goa to look into the matter and initiate appropriate action and submit action taken report.
Sources in the Margao Municipal Council pointed out that the civic body has initiated an excise to find out and identify the illegal slaughter houses, if any, operating in the Municipal jurisdiction.
Given that the commercial capital plays host to a number of mutton shops, the task before the Municipal official is clear – to find out where and how the meat stall owners procure the mutton, whether the same is procured from authorised slaughter houses or imported from outside the State.
A senior Municipal official informed that the civic body will draft Municipal staff to find out the source of the meat procured by owners and their slaughtering houses. “Accordingly, the MMC will conduct a survey, initiate action and file a report to the office of the district Collector,” informed an official.
In his complaint to the Goa State Pollution Control Board, Dr P Nagvenkar has pointed out that the procedure for slaughtering sheep or goat is same as buffaloes, and has demanded to know whether anyone knows where the sheep/ goats, etc are being slaughtered in Goa. “Does Goa have a specialised slaughter house for mutton in Goa,” he further demanded to know.
He demanded that the government should take the same initiative as in case of beef and poultry by having thorough checks for dates and slaughter certificates, besides other documents, while further demanding to know whether mutton sold in the State is checked for hygiene and verified by the doctors.
Margao Municipal officials in the know pointed out that they would verify the information whether the sheep/ goats are being slaughtered at places such as Khareband, Rawanfond, etc before initiating further action.
