No check on roadside slaughter houses selling uninspected meat

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, February 20

In a grave lapse on part of the health wing of the Municipal Corporation (MC), butcheries have been supplying meat without caring to obtain fitness certificates. Usually the health wing of the civic body raids several hotels, clubs and finds irregularities. As per rules a seller has to procure fitness certificate before slaughtering poultry birds.

Although butchers in the city get fitness certificates from authorised slaughter houses for selling mutton, they do not take any precaution in case of poultry meat.

A number of roadside butcheries in the city violate the rule and do not care to get any fitness certificate. It rare, that the MC conducts veterinary inspection of roadside butcheries.

Residents of Amritsar are known for buying food from roadside eateries. In absence of any quality check they are forced to compromise with their health. The number of birds slaughtered in the city every day is high.

Harminder Singh, a resident of New Amritsar said, “We know that there is no regular check on roadside butcheries, hotels and eating joints by the civic body. The administration should ensure that safe and healthy food is sold to residents. There should be a routine checking of eateries and shops, which sell non-vegetarian food.”

Earlier too, the MC had received complaints regarding violation of rules by food joints. Meanwhile, officials of the civic body have assured that the health wing would conduct routine checking in the city.