New Delhi   

Slaughterhouse project delayed further

Sandeep Joshi

Expected to start functioning only towards the end of 2007

NEW DELHI: Even repeated warnings by the Supreme Court to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi has failed to step up the pace of construction of the ambitious slaughterhouse project at Ghazipur in East Delhi. As a result, the multi-crore project which was to be completed by June 30 this year, is expected to start functioning only towards the end of 2007.

"The Ghazipur slaughterhouse complex is expected to become operational by the end of next year (2007)," stated Municipal Commissioner A.K. Nigam while presenting his Budget estimates for 2007-08 recently.

In January this year the Supreme Court had warned the MCD against missing the June 2006 deadline. "The deadline of June 2006 has to be met. We will take very, very serious note if we find that vote-bank politics is causing delay to the project," an apex court Bench had stated. Later, in the middle of the year, the Supreme Court had again warned the civic body against any laxity in the speedy construction of the slaughterhouse.

It was in 2004 when the Supreme Court had ordered relocation of the 200-year-old Idgah slaughterhouse from the Walled City area. The MCD choose Ghazipur for the project, while the Apex court set June 2006 deadline for its completion. But due to payment problems between the civic body and the contractor, and the Councillors raising objections over the cost factor and tendering process, the work constantly got delayed.

And now the project is proving to be a big drain on the MCD's coffers. Though it has already resulted in escalation of the project's cost from Rs.65 crore to Rs.110 crore, the contractor is asking Rs.152 crore for the completion of the state-of-the-art abattoir.

Since its inception, the project has undergone many changes, the latest being setting up of livestock markets at the site. "The affluent treatment plant is expected to be completed within 10 months. The rendering plant is likely to be operational within next three months. In order to meet the requirement of live animals for slaughtering at Ghazipur slaughterhouse, the MCD is establishing two livestock markets at Ghazipur. One livestock market for sheep and goat and the other is for buffalo," stated Mr. Nigam.

Interestingly, the entire machinery for the project has already been imported and is lying at the site in nine sealed containers as the building complex is not ready.

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