Slaughterhouse project in Faridabad only on paper

Bijendra Ahlawat

The ambitious project to build a state-of-the-art slaughterhouse in Faridabad city is still on paper. It was originally planned in 2014.

Claimed to be first of a kind in Haryana, the Rs 24-crore project, which was shifted to alternative places four times due to stiff opposition by residents, is still to get land at Tikri Khera village from the gram panchayat.  

“Though we have finalised two and a half acres at Tikri Khera village in Ballabhgarh subdivision of Faridabad district, the process to take the possession of land has been suspended due to the election code of conduct,” says Virender Kardam, Executive Engineer, Municipal Corporation Faridabad (MCF) and in-charge of the project. The land at Tikri Khera village was identified last year. The project was earlier planned at Pali village but was shifted to Tikri Khera village following opposition from villagers. 

Kardam says that while the funds for the project have already been received, its construction work will be taken up after the Lok Sabha elections. He adds that the project is running behind the schedule primarily due to opposition from villagers supported by the NIT MLA. This has led to an inordinate delay in the selection and approval of the land, as the availability of land and its approval by the village panchayat is mandatory. 

“It is for the fourth time that the site for a state-of-the-art abattoir has been changed in the past several years following stiff opposition by villagers,” say sources in the MCF. The  slaughterhouse was earlier proposed to be built in Sector 22 and 57, Greater Faridabad and Pali village. The decision to set up the abattoir at Pali village was opposed not only by residents of several villages but also by NIT MLA Nagender Bhadana, who had joined the protesters to pull down the boundary wall of the project in June 2017.

“We have finalised a new site in Tikri Khera village for the slaughterhouse and the work on it is likely to start soon,” says DR Bhaskar, Chief Engineer, MCF. He adds that as the village panchayat has approved the project there is no hurdle anymore and it is expected to be completed within one and a half years. The state and Union governments will finance the project in the ratio of 70:30. The MCF has already received most of the funds. The MCF had spent Rs 1.5 core on the groundwork at Pali village in 2017, and would now have to spend additional money to procure land for the project. A total budget of Rs 24 crore has been earmarked for it.

“The abattoir is the need of the hour, as it will help in effectively dealing with the problem of animals being slaughtered for meat in the open by private individuals with no consideration for hygiene and cleanliness,” says a senior MCF official. Till now the meat available in the market is supplied by private meat shops where animals are slaughtered in unhygienic conditions, he adds. The proposed abattoir will be fully air conditioned where the meat will remain untouched by hand.

Land not yet acquired

Though we have finalised two and a half acres at Tikri Khera village in Ballabhgarh subdivision of Faridabad district, the process to take the possession of land has been suspended due to the election code of conduct. —Virender Kardam, Executive Engineer, Municipal Corporation Faridabad