BANGALORE: The city was promised a modern slaughterhouse almost four decades ago, but a lazy BBMP has done nothing, and even misled the High Court about the status of the project.
Although the government has allotted land and money for the slaughterhouse, the municipal corporation hasn’t laid a single brick since 1976-77.
That’s just one shameful detail in a bigger story. Thanks to the apathy, animals continue to be slaughtered to this day in busy city neighbourhoods.
In 1997, two decades after the project was announced, B Krishna Bhat filed a public interest case, seeking directions to the BBMP to shift slaughterhouses away from Tannery Road to a place outside city limits. The government granted permission, but while nothing moved, it expired in 1994. Inside Bangalore, unhygienic slaughterhouses continue, not even paying rents and municipal fees.
In August 2002, the High Court directed the BBMP to shift the slaughterhouses outside the city limits within six months. The government promptly upgraded its plan, preparing a `4.65-crore proposal in place of the earlier `1.5 crore one.
A 40-acre plot was identified at Iglur in Anekal taluk, about 35 km from the city, but people in the vicinity resisted the idea. Again, in 2009, the government allotted 40 acres near Harohalli Industrial Area in Kanakapura taluk. That didn’t motivate the BBMP either. The project continued to languish, with no one taking any interest in it.
Lessee’s Complaint
Later, a contract was granted to Chennai-based company Capri Meat House.
There was confusion about the land, with the government saying it had allotted 40 acres, but the BBMP saying it was just 38 acres. A survey was conducted and 40 acres were handed over to the BBMP.
In 2013, Capri Meat House approached the High Court, saying it was not being supplied water and electricity. It also sought the building of a wall around the site.
The court summoned BBMP Commissioner M Lakshminarayana in February 2014, and directed him to provide all necessary utilities.
Earlier this year, the BBMP told the court it had already complied with its directions.
Initially, the new slaughterhouse was estimated to cost `1.5 crore, but officials now expect it to cost `50 crore.