Representational image of Hyderabad | Suraj Singh Bisht | ThePrint
Representational image of Hyderabad | Suraj Singh Bisht | ThePrint
Text Size:

New Delhi: Butchers in Hyderabad will have to undergo the Covid-19 test prior to Bakri Eid, which will be marked towards the end of this month. The move comes amid plans to have a larger awareness drive among the most vulnerable sections of society in Telangana.

Hyderabad MP and the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi told ThePrint the process will most likely start Tuesday. The expenses will be borne by the government. Bakri Eid, also called Eid-ul-Adha, will be marked either on 31 July or 1 August this year.

Sources also told ThePrint that the public could be asked to let only those butchers who show a Covid-19 negative certificate slaughter their animals. Officials in the Great Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) said they are currently considering this move, but a final decision is yet to be taken.

Butchers who test negative will be allowed to proceed with their job ahead of Eid, while those who test positive will be treated as per protocol. “Those who are asymptomatic will be simply asked to quarantine at a government centre or at home, but if there are symptoms, the butchers will be shifted to Gandhi Hospital,” a senior government official told ThePrint.

To begin with, at least 50 butchers in the first stage of the awareness drive will be made to undergo the RT-PCR test across the three designated centres in Hyderabad.

‘Move to spread awareness among poor’

While an official announcement is expected in this regard Tuesday, Owaisi said butchers can register themselves online for the Covid-19 test. “We already have an online portal where citizens can register for the test and butchers interested can register here by filling in their name, age, and Aadhaar details,” Owaisi said.

For those who might not have access to the internet, the MP said they could fill the form physically at the designated centres. “It’s just that the process is faster if one registers online and then one doesn’t have to wait for his/her turn at the centre,” the MP added.

We are deeply grateful to our readers & viewers for their time, trust and subscriptions.

Quality journalism is expensive and needs readers to pay for it. Your support will define our work and ThePrint’s future.

SUBSCRIBE NOW

Elaborating on the intention behind the move, Owaisi told ThePrint: “The aim is to spread awareness among the economically poor and those who are on the frontline to come forward and get tested.”

With increasing Covid numbers in the capital city of Telangana, the MP explained, it was important to hold such awareness drives to build confidence among people.

“Numbers might increase now if people get tested, but then this way they won’t be infecting others at least,” the AIMIM chief said. “Families of butchers are also likely to be impacted and hence their safety was a big concern in this ongoing pandemic.”

After butchers, it will be the turn of hawkers and even auto and taxi drivers to be tested, sources said.

 

Subscribe to our channels on YouTube & Telegram

News media is in a crisis & only you can fix it

You are reading this because you value good, intelligent and objective journalism. We thank you for your time and your trust.

You also know that the news media is facing an unprecedented crisis. It is likely that you are also hearing of the brutal layoffs and pay-cuts hitting the industry. There are many reasons why the media’s economics is broken. But a big one is that good people are not yet paying enough for good journalism.

We have a newsroom filled with talented young reporters. We also have the country’s most robust editing and fact-checking team, finest news photographers and video professionals. We are building India’s most ambitious and energetic news platform. And we aren’t even three yet.

At ThePrint, we invest in quality journalists. We pay them fairly and on time even in this difficult period. As you may have noticed, we do not flinch from spending whatever it takes to make sure our reporters reach where the story is. Our stellar coronavirus coverage is a good example. You can check some of it here.

This comes with a sizable cost. For us to continue bringing quality journalism, we need readers like you to pay for it. Because the advertising market is broken too.

If you think we deserve your support, do join us in this endeavour to strengthen fair, free, courageous, and questioning journalism, please click on the link below. Your support will define our journalism, and ThePrint’s future. It will take just a few seconds of your time.

Support Our Journalism