PIL seeking modern slaughter houses in J&K
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 21: A Division Bench of the High Court of J&K and Ladakh has appointed Deputy Commissioner, Jammu and Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar as Nodal Officers who shall file composite compliance reports to the directions issued on December 13th, 2022.
On December 13th, 2022, the DB had reiterated its April 1st, 2022 order whereby Commissioner Municipal Corporation, Jammu had been directed to obtain an expert’s advice whether there is requirement of establishing new slaughter houses in city of Jammu and whether any suitable place for the purpose is available.
The court had also directed the Commissioner JMC to submit a report with regard to the manner in which the upgradation of the existing slaughter houses is being conducted, the time within which the work would be completed as also about the mechanism of carcasses. The DB had also directed Senior AAG S S Nanda to come clearly as to the latest position with regard to the modern slaughter house under construction at Srinagar.
The Division Bench on December 13th, 2022 had also impleaded Chief Secretary, Union Territory of Ladakh as a party respondent and had directed Deputy Solicitor General of India Vishal Sharma to file the latest status report whether the UT of Ladakh has established new slaughter houses in terms of the guidelines issued by the Supreme Court.
These directions were passed in the much publicized Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by an NGO working for the Welfare of Animals (SAVE) through its Chairperson Devinder Kaur Madaan alias Rumpy Madaan seeking closure of un-regulated and un-registered/un-licensed slaughter houses/meat shops in the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir.
When the PIL came up for hearing, Advocate Sheikh Shakeel Ahmed with Advocates Supriya Chouhan and Mohd Zulkarnain Choudhary appearing for the petitioner submitted that both JMC and SMC have miserably failed to comply the directions issued by the Division Bench and said that Civic Bodies do not seem to be interested for the completion of modern slaughter houses as per the guidelines of the Apex Court.
Advocate Ahmed further submitted that Commissioner JMC despite categoric directions of the Division Bench did not take up the matter with Deputy Commissioner, Jammu for identification of land for new slaughter houses in Jammu.
At this stage, Senior AAG Monika Kohli and Advocate Harshwardhan Gupta appearing for Government of J&K/JMC sought some more time enabling them to do the needful in terms of order dated December 13th, 2022. The DB reluctantly allowed two weeks time for doing the needful.
Similarly, Senior AAG S S Nanda was also allowed time on behalf of SMC to do the needful in terms of order dated December 13th, 2022.
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