Issue licences to meat sellers: Allahabad HC

MEAT SELLERS WHOSE LICENCES HAVE NOT BEEN RENEWED SINCE MARCH SEEMED RELIEVED. THE COURT ALSO ASKED OFFICIALS TO TAKE STEPS TO REGULATE MEAT SHOPS

The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court on Friday directed the authorities to issue licences to meat sellers and observed that the state government cannot shy away from its responsibility of regulating slaughterhouses.

The order came as a major relief for meat sellers whose licences have not been renewed since March.

Passing an interim order, Justice AP Shahi and Justice Sanjay Harkauli directed the government to file its reply on July 17 — the next date of hearing — to apprise the court of the steps taken in compliance of its order.

“The state government cannot shy away from its responsibility of regulating slaughterhouses,” said Justice Shahi, while reading out a part of the order. The court completed the hearing on Thursday and had reserved the judgment for Friday.

The court also directed the district magistrates and divisional commissioners to take appropriate action to regulate meat shops and slaughterhouses.

Along with the PIL petition, the court had clubbed all writ petitions seeking renewal of licences of meat shops filed by individuals. Advocate general Raghvendra Singh and advocate BK Singh represented the state government and the petitioners, respectively.

Some meat sellers of Bahraich, Lakhimpur Kheri and Mau district had also filed writ petitions before the high court seeking renewal of licence of their shops. The court had also clubbed all such writ petitions.