HC summons Local Bodies Secy

Saurabh Malik

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 21

Making no bones about discomfiture caused to public by open display of slaughtered animals by meat sellers across Haryana, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has asked the Secretary, Directorate of Urban Local Bodies, Haryana, to appear before the Bench.

The direction came after Justice Rakesh Kumar Jain observed: “It is generally seen that the meat sellers, in order to attract customers, keep slaughtered animals in the open, thus creating an awkward scene for the people who do not eat meat”.

Justice Jain added the phenomenon was not limited to Sirsa alone about which a petition had been filed in the court. It was prevalent all over the state of Haryana.

As such, to avoid multiple petitions in this matter, let notice of the petition be issued to Haryana and other respondents, Justice Jain asserted.

The direction came on the petition by Gurdwara Guru Gobind Singhji through counsel Gagan Oberoi and Arpandeep Narula. Justice Jain observed basically the petitioner, being a religious institution, was aggrieved that meat shops in Sirsa city were situated on the way from where the Palki Sahib of the gurudwara was taken.

Justice Jain added Section 170 of the Haryana Municipal Act, 1973, and Section 167 of the Punjab Municipal Act, 1911, dealt with slaughter places. There were provisions in both Acts for maintenance of a proper market for the purpose of slaughtering animals being consumed by human beings. But there were no provisions in both Acts about the meat shops where slaughtered animals were sold.

Accepting the notice on the state’s behalf at the asking of the court, Haryana Deputy Advocate-General Tanisha Peshawaria prayed for time to seek instructions. Taking note of Tanisha Peshawaria’s request, Justice Jain fixed the case for further hearing next week.