NEW DELHI: The Delhi government’s Slaughterhouse Monitoring Committee has found that two meat processing units were running butcher houses in violation of all norms. The irregularities to light on Thursday after a surprise inspection was carried out by the panel led by South Delhi civic body along with the NDMC, the food and safety department, the animal husbandry department and animal rights activist Gauri Maulekhi.
“We inspect slaughter houses every month. For May, we had selected five places, out of which two were found open. There were many lapses and a report will be submitted to the government for taking action on whether to shut them or not,” said a SDMC official.
According to the committee members, Sushil Ice Factory and Cold Storage and Jagdish Ice Factory did not have any of the four required licenses valid — MCD licence, food processing license, APEDA license and factory establishment license.
“There was no record from where they were getting the meat and the processed buffalo carcasses were exported primarily to Vietnam and the Middle East,” Gauri Maulekhi, a panel member, told The Morning Standard.
The Committee had also found gross violation in labour norms as they found that the butchers were working in extremely hazardous and unsanitary conditions. Nine child labourers were also found allegedly working in these two houses. Maulekhi said.