Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Illegal slaughterhouses raided

Special Correspondent

1,100 kg of meat valued at Rs.1.25 lakh seized; stiff resistance at Vallakadavu

MATTER OF HYGIENE: Meat that was confiscated by the Corporation Health squad in the city on Sunday. - Photo: S. Mahinsha

Thiruvananthapuram: The City Corporation on Sunday carried out a massive raid on illegal slaughterhouses and meat stalls and seized 1,100 kg of meat valued at Rs.1.25 lakh. At Vallakadavu, the special squad of the Corporation was detained by a hostile crowd.

The squad, led by Senior Veterinary Surgeon L. Ravikumar, raided more than 50 unauthorised slaughter sheds at Jagathy, Karamana, Kunjalumoodu, Nemom, Pappanamcode, Poonthura, Vallakadavu, Bangladesh colony, Stationkadavu, Poundukadavu, Kulathur, Manvila, Sreekaryam, Ulloor, Kesavadasapuram, Poojappura, Mudavanmugal and Thrikkannapuram.

The team came across unhygienic slaughter and exhibition of meat. At some places, the butchers fled after being warned of the raid, leaving behind the slaughtered animals. The squad ran into stiff resistance while raiding a hotel at Vallakadavu where a goat was found slaughtered on the premises. The hotel employees and a section of the local people detained the squad. Heavily outnumbered, the Corporation employees and the five policemen accompanying them were helpless. Additional forces from the Valiathura police station rushed to the spot and secured the release of the squad after almost an hour.

The seized meat included 850 kg of beef and 250 kg of mutton. Some of the meat was found to be unfit for consumption. The meat was later taken to the Corporation's slaughterhouse at Kunnukuzhy and destroyed.

Senior Health Inspector M.A. Latheef and Junior Health Inspector S. Muraleedharan Nair also participated in the raid. In a press note, the Corporation said the crackdown on illegal slaughter would be intensified in the coming days.

Report sought

Meanwhile, the State Government has called for reports from the five municipal Corporations on the steps being taken to check unauthorised slaughter of animals. The report is to be submitted by May 8. The decision was taken at a meeting convened by S.M. Vijayanand, Principal Secretary, Local Self-Government, here on Saturday to discuss the recommendations of a one-man Commission appointed by the Supreme Court to ensure hygienic slaughter and supply of safe meat in urban areas.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Drive on to clean up SAT Hospital
Illegal slaughterhouses raided
Plea to check traffic violations in city
Neelakurinji - generation next
VAT on coconut oil to go: Isaac
SAT issue: FRAT seeks stern action
Chandy visits Thycaud hospital
IMA spurns conspiracy theory
`Government derailing sports schemes'
Around the City
In Thiruvananthapuram Today
Reader's Mail

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu