TEAM HERALD
MARGAO: Beef traders under the banner of Querasi Meat Traders Association of Goa are up in arms over the order banning import of animals for slaughter at the Goa Meat Complex and urged the government to instead supply beef to the traders for sale in the market.
Congress MLA Reginaldo Lourenco slammed the Parrikar government on the issue and blamed the Chief Minister for the beef shortage in the state.
The beef traders maintained that slaughtering animals and supplying meat from the Goa Meat complex would be adversely hit since 95 per cent of their requirements are met from animals brought from outside the state. “You hardly find any animals in Goa. 95 per cent of our requirements are met from outside the state,” informed Association treasurer Sheikh Shabir Bepari on Friday.
“If we are not allowed to bring animals from outside for slaughter, the government may as well supply us our beef requirements,” he said.
He also expressed his reservations over the new timings fixed for the slaughter of animals at the meat complex. “The existing timings between midnight and 8 am suited us best since the meat could reach the market by morning. If animals are slaughtered as per the new timings, then beef would reach us only in the evening. This would defeat the purpose and deny fresh meat to consumers,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Curtorim MLA came down heavily on the BJP-led government for its stand on the issue of animal slaughter at the Goa Meat complex. He accused the government and the NGO for misleading the Judiciary on the issue, thereby denying justice to the people.
“We don’t think that people brought about a parivartan so as to allow the government to stop beef supply. It’s high time people of Goa should take note of the anti-people measures adopted by the Parrikar government,” he said, and added that such a situation does not even prevail even in Gujarat, where there are stringent restrictions on animal slaughter.
“The government and the NGO connived to bring about this situation. On one hand, Parrikar said his government is committed to boost cattle production in the state, while. on the other hand, the government stops import of animals from outside for slaughter,” he added.
