Allahabad HC asks UP govt to explain its policy on grant of licenses to slaughterhouses

Allahabad: The Allahabad High Court on Thursday asked the Uttar Pradesh government to spell out its policy with regard to granting of licenses for running slaughter houses, a large number of which have been closed down leading to a major controversy in the BJP-ruled state. A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice DB Bhosle and Justice Manoj Kumar Gupta issued notice to the state government on a petition filed by Yunis Khan, a resident of Jhansi, who had moved the court complaining about non-issuance of license by the Nagar Nigam (municipal corporation) for opening of a meat shop. [caption id=“attachment_3413380” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Allahabad High Court. Image courtesy: allahabad.nic.in[/caption] In the notice, the court asked the Yogi Adityanath government to state their policy for granting of licenses for opening of slaughter houses. The court fixed 5 July as the next date of hearing in the case. The petitioner had moved the court contending that there was no licensed abattoir in Jhansi and hence he had applied for a license to open a shop where he could slaughter animals and sell meat. The petitioner said that on account of the municipal corporation’s failure to grant him a license, he was “left with no other option but to seek the court’s intervention”. Uttar Pradesh has witnessed a massive crackdown on unlicensed slaughter houses ever since the Yogi Adityanath government assumed power in March 2017. The ruling BJP had promised closure of all unauthorised abattoirs and banning of all mechanised ones in its manifesto for the assembly polls.