SDMC panel asks restaurants, shops to mention about 'halal', 'jhatka' cut meat

NEW DELHI: The standing committee of the BJP-led South Delhi Municipal Corporation has cleared a proposal that asks restaurants or shops to "mandatorily" display whether the meat being sold or served is cut using the 'halal' or 'jhatka' method, officials said on Friday.

The proposal now awaits nod in the SDMC House which is controlled by the saffron party.

'Jhatka' method is one in which an animal is slaughtered in one go, while in the 'halal' method, an animal is allowed to die after cutting a vein.

"There are thousands of restaurants in 104 wards of four zones falling under South Delhi Municipal Corporation.

Out of these, meat is served in about 90 per cent of restaurants but it is not mentioned whether the meat being served by the restaurants is 'halal' or 'jhatka'," said the resolution passed by the SDMC panel on Thursday.

Similarly, the meat shops also do not make the distinction, it said.

The resolution further says, "According to Hinduism and Sikhism, eating 'halal' meat is forbidden and against religion. Therefore, the committee resolves that this direction be given to restaurants and meat shops that it should be written mandatorily about the meat being sold and served by them that 'halal' or 'jhatka' meat is available here".

Standing committee chairman Rajdutt Gahlot on Friday said the proposal, once cleared by the House, will mean that restaurants and meat shops will have to "display clearly and visibly" whether they are serving meat cut using 'halal or jhatka' method.

"At present, while getting licence made, owners take a licence for selling one type of meat, and then start selling the other one too".

Also, the idea is to let a consumer know about the kind of meat being served to him or her and make an informed choice, Gahlot said.

  The resolution was moved by Chhattarpur councillor Anita Tanwar.

Joy Singh, a partner in Yeti chain of restaurants and co-founder of Raasta restaurant in south Delhi said this is a very "sad and regressive approach".

"I'm sorry but I'm not in favour of it.

It is everyone's prerogative as to what they want to eat and what they don't want to eat," he said.

In 2017, the SDMC had proposed that meat and its products were not to be displayed in the open, saying hygiene and "sentiments of people affected by the sight" of meat were the main reasons behind the move.

The move was not implemented after protests from shop-owners.