PANAJI
The Qureshi Meat Traders Association, a body of beef suppliers, has rejected claims of religious vigilantes masquerading as animal rights activists that illegal slaughter was being carried out at Goa Meat Complex.
The association claimed that the cattle that was brought to the centre was for trial after the Goa Meat Complex procured new machinery.
Addressing reporters at a hurriedly called press conference, Manna Bepari rejected claims that the animals were illegally transported and flashed copies of the permissions he held for their transportation.“The cattle were brought into the state having a certificate under rule 96 (Transportation of Animals Rules) along with legal trade transport certification issued by the animal husbandry department,” Bepari said.
He accused the right-wing elements of trying to shutdown the meat complex entirely and prevent a legal trade from operating. “NGOs are trying to shut us down and also the meat complex, but we would not let that happen. Just as fish is a staple food of Goa, meat too is an essential part of the diet here and from a tourist point of view,” Bepari said.
While Bepari claimed that they took the cattle back because of a technical glitch with the new machinery, Minister for Animal Husbandry Mauvin Godinho said that GMC did not proceed with the demonstration of the new equipment because of trouble caused by the vigilantes.
“There is nothing illegal taking place at the Goa Meat Complex. The department has acquired a new stunning gun and we had brought a few animals to demonstrate the machine. These so-called activists, who have nothing else to do but cause trouble, started raising some issues. The permissions they are talking about are only a formality. We will secure these when we start the actual slaughter,” Godinho told The Goan.
He said that the Goa Meat Complex would put all its permissions in place and tackle the activists “who are showing their animal instincts” and who have a “different hidden agenda.”
Bepari added to his claims that they were transporting cattle legally by pointing out that the Goa police escorted the animals back to the place from where they were brought.
“If the cattle papers are not approved at the entrance of the factory by the doctors present then the animals have to be taken right away from there, and since our papers were in order we were escorted by the police out of the factory,” Bepari added.
