New Delhi: The South Delhi Municipal Corporation on Thursday passed a proposal making it mandatory for all restaurants and meat shops in the district to write ‘Halal meat’ or ‘Jhatka meat’ for any meat being served and sold. The civic body had made the proposal in December last year stating that consuming halal meat is considered “forbidden and against religion in Hinduism and Sikhism”.
“Thousands of restaurants are running in 104 wards of four zones falling under SDMC and meat is being served in 90% restaurants but it is not displayed by them whether…(it) is halal or jhatka.”
“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,” the decision observes.
As a result, restaurants and meat shops in South Delhi will need to acquire the licenses accordingly.
Standing committee chairperson Rajdutt Gahlot had argued that the target is to let the buyer know in regards to the sort of meat being served, so that they can make an informed decision. “Right now, we have a situation where a licence has been issued for one type of meat while something else is being sold,” he had said.
The proposal was moved by Chhattarpur councillor Anita Tanwar and tabled by the medical reduction and public well-being panel on November 9, 2020.
In the last couple of years, the civic bodies have been obsessed with proposals regarding meat. A few months back, the east corporation had passed a resolution stating that meat shops should not be allowed among the 24 trades permitted in residential lanes in DDA’s new master plan. In August 2018, it had cleared a similar proposal to make halal-jhatka boards mandatory.