CHENNAI: Madras High Court has chided Chennai Corporation Commissioner for the inordinate delay in getting functional the Modern Slaughter House constructed at a huge cost by a private builder three years ago in Perambur.
The First Bench of Chief Justice SK Kaul and Justice M Sathyanarayanan made the adverse comments against the civic body chief, while passing further interim orders on a Public Interest Litigation from K Gafoor Basha of Seven Wells, on Monday.
The PIL prayed for a direction to authorities concerned to close the existing unhygienic slaughter house in Perambur, which caused serious environmental pollution and posed a health hazard.
As the massive waste is let into the Cooum, Buckingham canal and Otteri Nullah, contiguous areas like Perambur and Pulianthope face a serious threat.
“We have put the Additional Advocate-General on notice that we will not permit the present situation to prevail (at the existing slaughter house) even if it means completely banning sale of meat in Chennai, as slaughter is being done in a completely unhygienic manner. When measures have been taken to have a Modern Slaughter House, it is the pitiable state-of-affairs that the same is not made functional for three years,” the Bench regretted.
Almost three years have elapsed and the position remains at a stand-still on account of the ambivalent stand of the Corporation with the philosophy to please all, which will never work. Whatever interest it had to safeguard, it should have done so before entering into an agreement with the builder of the new abattoir.
It could not now burden the concessionaire with something more than what is in the agreement, the Bench said.
The Corporation insisted that the interests of the existing slaughterers should also be protected in the new slaughter house.
The Bench ex-facie rejected it, saying this sought to raise the issues other than what were contained in the agreement.
The public at large could not made to suffer on account of the quibbling between the Corporation, the builder and the butchers, the Bench said and added that it was interested to know as to when the new slaughter house will commence functioning and whatever is the remaining land made available to the builder.
The matter will be taken up on December 22.