Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 5: Division Bench of the State High Court comprising Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice Tashi Rabstan today directed the Jammu Municipal Corporation to ensure the completion of two modern slaughter houses before 31st March, 2019 at Gujjar Nagar and Dogra Hall.
The direction was passed in the much publicized PIL seeking closure of unregulated, unregistered and unlicensed slaughter houses/meat shops in the State .
After hearing Advocate Sheikh Shakeel Ahmed with Advocates Supriya Chouhan and M Zulkarnain Chowdhary appearing for the PIL whereas H A Siddiqui, Senior AAG for Pollution Control Board, Advocate Sachin Gupta for JMC, the Division Bench observed, “as per Advocate Sachin Gupta appearing for JMC the work for construction of two modern slaughter houses in Jammu stand allotted to J&K Police Housing Corporation, a State owned executing agency with the direction to complete the work before 31st March, 2019”.
At this stage, Dr Zaffar Iqbal, Municipal Veterinary Officer, JMC in the open court filed a status report dated 31st January, 2019 indicating the same position.
In the PIL filed by the NGO SAVE through its Chairperson Devinder Kour Madaan alias Rumpy Madaan, Advocate Ahmed informed the Division Bench that J&K Pollution Control Board had earlier informed the court vide its status report filed on October 9, 2018 that out of 13 slaughter houses in Jammu Province, 10 are running without the requisite license and are illegal.
“No fresh status report regarding the closure of the 10 illegal slaughter houses has been filed by J&K Pollution Control Board”, he added.
At this stage, Senior AAG H A Siddiqui appearing for PCB informed the Division Bench that Board has issued closure notices to 10 illegally running slaughter houses in Jammu Province. It was further submitted that action for closing these slaughter houses has to be undertaken by the local municipal committees.
Upon this, Division Bench observed, “Director Urban Local Bodies, Jammu is a party respondent in the PIL and let copies of these closure notices be served by Member Secretary, J&K State Pollution Control Board upon the Director Urban Local Bodies, Jammu within one week from today”. The DB further directed that Director Urban Local Bodies Jammu shall take requisite steps to apprise the Urban Local Bodies who shall ensure strict compliance with the requirements of law in respect of closure of illegally running slaughter houses.
Advocate Ahmed further submitted that despite expressing of displeasure by the Division Bench vide its order dated July 25, 2018 regarding the conduct of Commissioner Srinagar Municipal Corporation even today there is no status report with regard to the condition of slaughter houses in Srinagar city.
Upon this, the Division Bench granted one last opportunity to Commissioner Srinagar Municipal Corporation and Director Urban Local Bodies for filing status report as well as Action Plan within four weeks from today, failing which both the officers shall remain personally present in court.
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