Panaji: Cattle slaughter operations at the Goa
Meat Complex (GMC) have come to a halt since October 2017, after representatives of animal welfare board alleged that cattle being brought to the abattoir from Belagavi are of "economic and agricultural value" and demanded that the traders follow the rules for transport of animals with fitness certificate as per Transport of Animals, Rules, 1996.
"We have told our veterinary doctors to issue this certificate to the traders. The abattoir is open for the traders to resume their activity, but they have to obtain a similar certificate from animal husbandry in Belagavi, first," said a representative from GMC on condition of anonymity.
Beef traders, however, said they were not aware about the same, until the said animal board raised the issue in October.
"All this while we were following the Transport of Animals Rules, 1978, but were not aware of the 1996 aspect. We applied for it at the department of animal husbandry and veterinary services, Goa and were granted the same, soon after. To resume cattle supply however, we require a similar certificate from the animal husbandry officials in Belagavi; the process of which is going on," said president of Quraishi meat traders association, Manna Bepari.
"The 1996 certificate can act as a transport permit for the cattle. The traders are trying at Karnataka level but they are not able to get it because the Karnataka government has not issued any instructions to their veterinary doctors to issue this certificate. This matter should be tackled at a higher level," the GMC official added.
In order to meet the state's beef demand, traders then started fulfilling the requirement with cold meat supply wherein fresh meat of cattle slaughtered in Belagavi was being transported to Goa.
The animal welfare board started to meddle in this supply as well, irking the traders to such an extent that they have now demanded that the government intervene in the matter or else, they will not lift the beef sale strike.
