Tender proceedings for the proposed state-of-the-art slaughterhouse of the Kozhikode Municipal Corporation may begin in a month’s time as the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) has finally given nod to the project. The KIIFB had earlier returned the proposal for the project seeking further clarification in the detailed project report (DPR) and a soil test report. Corporation Secretary Binu Francis said that most of the hurdles before the much awaited project had been cleared and that it could be implemented soon.
The ₹9.5-crore slaughterhouse project at Kothi was included in the Kozhikode Corporation’s project Plan for the year 2019-20 and was also part of the corporation’s Mission 360, a set of projects that the present council is expected to complete within its tenure.
The Kozhikode District Committee of the All Kerala Meat Merchants’ Association had earlier protested against the delay in implementing the project.
The association had been demanding the slaughterhouse for over a decade as the city lacked proper and hygienic slaughter facilities. Even though corporation councillors were supportive, the project hit a roadblock when people at Kothi, known for their love for football, launched a protest against the corporation’s takeover of their football ground for the slaughterhouse project. However, the corporation offered to provide another playground and settled the issue.
Mr. Francis said that the project now needed only a few approvals including building permit and fire permit besides an MoU with Impact Kerala.
