LUCKNOW: Never in the past a promise made in a poll manifesto had such a wide ramification within hours of elections results. A state-wide crackdown on illegal slaughter houses, mechanised abattoirs and meat sellers has sent the `50,000-crore industry into a tizzy.
The impact has been sudden and deep-seating—iconic joints such as Tunday’s of Lucknow have started selling chicken kebabs instead of quintessential ‘galawat’.
As the enforcement agencies are strictly implementing the set norms about slaughtering and transportation of animals, the industry that provides employment to over 5 lakh people is hurtling to the state of vegetation. The authorities have also taken the avatar of vigilantes, acting against even legally run concerns on the slightest of pretexts without any show-cause notice.
India is among the largest producers of meat in the world. UP contributes to nearly 60 per cent of India’s exports and its meat industry’s annual export revenue is `22,000 crore. The meat exporters of UP cater to over 50 countries. However, orders are being cancelled and exporters have suffered a loss of `4,000 crore in the past one month.
While, the nervousness is palpable in the meat industry and leading exporters are even contemplating shifting base to Punjab or southern states instead of taking a legal recourse, the state government has made it clear that action is only on illegal meat shops and slaughterhouses running without permission of the municipal commissioner.
As per Nagar palika Parishad records, over 140 slaughterhouses and around 50,000 meat shops were functioning illegally in the state, said a senior Lucknow Municipal Corporation officer.
Lucknow has over a thousand illegal meat shops, 200 of which have been closed down during the last one week while others have shut their shops on their own fearing a government clampdown.
The Chief Secretary has also issued orders to all district administrations to set up 10-member monitoring committee to check cow smuggling and ensure closure of ‘illegal’ slaughterhouses. Meat exporters are trying to meet the CM and other top officials to explain their position and save the legally run export units. But so far, success has eluded them.