Ahmedabad: Councillor wants ‘illegal non-veg outlets’ closed

AHMEDABAD: The chairman of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation’s (AMC) revenue committee, Jainik Vakil, has written to municipal commissioner Mukesh Kumar on Saturday demanding the removal of all illegal non-vegetarian food outlets.
Vakil’s says “Illegal non-vegetarian food joints near educational institutions, religious places should be removed as passersby have problems due to the stench emanating from such joints”.
Vakil claimed that meat of illegally slaughtered animals is being sold in public places. “The civic body should take action against such outlets under provisions of the GPMC Act such as Sections 331 (2), 334, 376 (6), 382 (b) and 335,” the letter says.
Section 331(2) says, “No person shall establish a private market for the sale of, or for the purpose of exposing for sale, animals intended for human food, or any article of human food or livestock or articles of food for livestock or shall establish or maintain a private slaughterhouse except with the sanction of the commissioner who shall be guided in giving such sanction by the decisions of the corporation.”
“Illegal non-vegetarian food outlets are hurting people’s religious sentiments and are also against Indian culture,” Vakil wrote.
These provisions prohibit private markets and private slaughterhouses, the import of cattle without the commissioner’s license and gives powers to the commissioner to expel any non-vegetarian outlets and slaughterhouses operating without the commissioner’s permission.
On September 30, the civic body announced a drive against illegal ‘non-vegetarian’ food carts across the city that are operating without valid municipal food vending licences. The ‘non-vegetarian’ food carts included those selling egg preparations.