Total compliance at Gurgaon meat shops for no-meat Tuesdays

On the second week of implementation of Municipal Corporation of Gurugram’s directions to close all meat shops every Tuesday, the areas falling under the civic body’s jurisdiction saw “100% compliance”.

“Teams were sent out across the city in areas falling under our jurisdiction to penalise anyone found to be operating on Tuesday despite the mandate for all meat shops to remain closed on the day. However, owners had shut the shops themselves. There was hundred per cent compliance,” said an official from the MCG who did not want to be named.

According to officials, Gurgaon has a total of 129 licensed meat shops. Last week on Tuesday, which was the first time the order was implemented, shop owners had “largely” complied with the MCG directions, with officials revealing that “at least 120” of the 129 licensed meat shops remained closed on their own. The violators were let off with a warning last week.

On March 18, during its house meeting, the MCG passed a proposal to close all meat shops on Tuesdays in areas falling under its jurisdiction — a proposal that was originally not on the agenda but had been put before the House by some councilors who cited “Hindu sentiments” in its support. The proposal was unanimously accepted by the House.

At the same meeting, councilors had passed proposals to double the license fee for meat shops from Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000, and to increase the penalty for meat shops operating illegally by ten times, from Rs 500 to Rs 5,000. In addition, MCG Commissioner Vinay Pratap Singh had stated that shops penalised thrice for operating illegally would be sealed and an FIR registered against the owner if the seal is found to have been broken afterwards.