Introduced online permission to ease process of animal slaughter: BMC

the court would hear a petition filed by the Jiv Maitri Trust, which had challenged two notices issued recently by Dr Yogesh Jayprakash Shetye, the general manager of BMC-run Deonar abattoir, granting permission to slaughter sheep and goats outside the abattoir on Bakr-Eid. (Express photo by Prashant Nadkar/File)

The BMC is set to tell the Bombay High Court on Monday that it has introduced an online mechanism to ease the process of applying for and securing permissions for the slaughter of sheep or goats outside the Deonar abattoir ahead of Bakr-Eid on August 22.

On Monday, the court would hear a petition filed by the Jiv Maitri Trust, which had challenged two notices issued recently by Dr Yogesh Jayprakash Shetye, the general manager of BMC-run Deonar abattoir, granting permission to slaughter sheep and goats outside the abattoir on Bakr-Eid.

The affidavit, filed by Shetye, who has an office at the abattoir in Govandi, would state after the previous hearing on August 16, BMC had immediately stopped its process of granting online permissions for slaughter. It would also say that the municipal corporation has introduced this new system with good intention to ensure that the people intending to celebrate the festival would get permission and not illegally sacrifice animals.

Advocate Sujay Kantawala, appearing for the petitioners, told The Sunday Express that they were served the affidavit on Saturday evening.

“…the municipal corporation had started the online permission for slaughter last year and the whole process was successful since certain applications, which were not in line with the requirements, were rejected… the online permission is introduced by the municipal corporation so as to ease the process. I say that the municipal corporation is issuing similar kind of permissions on different festivals viz., Holi, Aashadi Aamavasya (popularly known as Gatari) and Dussera,” the affidavit stated.

It added that the BMC’s solid waste management department will provide special vehicles to collect waste material generated after the slaughter, which would ensure that the abattoir is cleaned. The affidavit stated that many people have genuinely applied for permission for slaughter and that around 29,907 goats and sheep have already been sold at the abattoir.

“…The municipal corporation has deployed staff at each of its administrative wards to monitor and control illegal slaughtering of animals, if any that might be carried out…,” it added.

Maintaining that the municipal corporation has taken steps to modernise the Deonar abattoir, the affidavit stated that “after modernisation, the capacity to slaughter animals in the abattoir will increase at least three times”.