The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) on Monday told the Karnataka High Court that there are only 2,649 licensed meat shops and three authorised slaughterhouses in its jurisdiction. It also said the BBMP’s squad has now begun a survey to identify unlicensed meat shops and slaughterhouses.
BBMP Commissioner N. Manjunatha Prasad filed an affidavit in this regard during the hearing of a contempt of court petition filed by the Gau Gyan Foundation. The petitioner alleged that the BBMP and the city police have failed to enforce laws related to prevention of cruelty to animals, cow slaughter, and cattle preservation despite two separate directions from the High Court.
The affidavit was filed following the court’s June 12 order, which had described an earlier affidavit filed by the Commissioner on implementation of these laws as “bereft of any concrete details and is merely a vague statement to take this court for a ride”.
In the present affidavit, the Commissioner has also admitted that the two squads — constituted in December 2016 to supervise and prevent cruelty towards animals, and to prevent illegal slaughter of animals — were not functional till January 2018 due to lack of staff and vehicles, and the BBMP provided the vehicle only in January this year. The Commissioner sought more time to provide data on unlicensed meat shops, slaughterhouses, and action taken against unlicensed meat shops and slaughterhouses, criminal cases booked, etc., to the court.
A Division Bench, comprising Justice Raghvendra S. Chauhan and Justice H.T. Narendra Prasad adjourned further hearing on the petition while granting four weeks time to the Commissioner to provide the remaining details.