ALLAHABAD: The Allahabad High Court on Thursday ordered clubbing together of all writ petitions and Public Interest Litigations, filed here and at the Lucknow Bench, on the issue of slaughter houses in Uttar Pradesh and said the matter will be taken up for "final hearing" on August 16.
A division bench headed by Chief Justice D B Bhosle also ordered that concerned parties compile all documents relating to laws and court judgements, if any, in support of their arguments by August 16.
The court made it clear that it wished the "final disposal" of all such petitions on "the very same date".
The order was passed following a request for clubbing together of all matters relating to the issue by Additional Advocate General Manish Goel. He was appearing in connection with a petition filed by some residents of Gorakhpur, the constituency of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who had sought directions to authorities concerned so that they may be allowed to set up slaughter houses and carry on their meat business.
Scores of slaughter houses in the state have been closed down, for want of valid licences, ever since the BJP came to power in March this year. In its manifesto for the assembly polls, the party had promised that if it was voted to power, it would close down unlicensed abattoirs.