New Delhi, October 25: The stand-off between the MCD and the meat merchants in the capital continued today with the traders staying away from the new abattoir at Ghazipur and the civic body contemplating action against them to tackle the crisis.
Acting on a court order, the MCD had on Thursday shifted the ‘halal’ section of the 200-year-old Idgah slaughterhouse here to Ghazipur abattoir, a move opposed by the butchers who said they will not move to the new facility.
Amid reports of an increase in meat prices in several parts of the city, a senior MCD official said the civic agency may contemplate cancelling the licences of the traders in future if they do not fall in line.
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has constructed a new state-of-the-art slaughterhouse at Ghazipur. Under a Supreme Court order, it will have to close down the existing abattoir at Idgah and shift all operations to Ghazipur.
Though the ‘jhatka’ section of Idgah abattoir has already been shifted, the ‘halal’ section was yet to be closed due to opposition from a section of meat sellers. The buffalo section will be moved on October 29, which will finally bring the curtains down on the centuries-old abattoir at Idgah.
The butchers had been saying that the new slaughterhouse lies near a landfill site and is “unhygienic”. There is also lack of toilet and other facilities, they said.
The traders today held a meet at Idgah and decided that they will only shift to Ghazipur if the facilities were improved. They also said there will be no illegal slaughtering. .
—Agencies