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Bhagalpur administration to ban meat sales in open

BHAGALPUR: Bhagalpur Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the district administration have geared up to stop open sale of meat, chicken and fish in the municipal area.

BMC public relation officer Satyendra Verma said directions have been issued to regularize the functioning of slaughterhouses and stop all illegal operations.

“We have made a public announcement asking the meat sellers to procure license and follow the norms for selling non-vegetarian items. The BMC is also preparing a fact sheet on meat sellers,” he said.

Steps like closing unlicensed meat shops and the slaughterhouses without having valid license from the government authorities and enforcing provisions of Bihar Preservation and Improvement of Animals Act, 1955 to check illegal activities in slaughterhouses and meat selling shops under BMC as well as suburban areas are being contemplated.

Verma said that shops with a licence cannot keep meat in the open and have to do their business behind closed doors as per norms. Civic body officials and other departments have been asked to organise public awareness campaigns and inform shopkeepers not to sell meat in the open.

Action under section 133 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) would also be taken against illegal slaughterhouses. Senior lawyer Rajesh Chandra Jha and member of the District Bar Association, in reference to Section 133 of CrPC said that any competent authority, is empowered on behalf of the state government, on receiving a report or other information, can take suitable action against the offenders engaged in any trade or occupation or keeping any goods or merchandise that is injurious to health.

Sources said that BMC has provided license to approximately 80 shops for selling meat and one slaughterhouse at Maulanachak in 2002. However, sources said that slaughtering of goats and others are rampant by the meat-sellers without valid license from either BMC or any authority.

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