Whether they make roads and public toilets or not, different departments of the State Governments fall over each other in desperate attempts to build "Modern Slaughterhouses". This is not prompted by the desire of public service nor out of their concern for public health. At the root of such policies is bureaucratic corruption and bribes from the meat mafia.
The Animal Husbandry Department of Goa has recently notified a policy called "Animal Health and Welfare Policy 2020 - 25". The name is entirely misleading and the Policy is an attempt by the Dept to facilitate building of slaughterhouses all over Goa with public funds. The Goa Meat Complex is perhaps one of the most mismanaged, non-compliant, unregulated facilities in the entire region, and the Animal Husbandry Dept is keen on investing in more such law and order blackholes across the State.
Construction of slaughterhouses is neither the Constitutional mandate nor a statutory obligation of the Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Services Dept under the Central or State Statutes. Their function is to provide clinical services to animals; prevent diseases and enforce the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960 and Rules thereunder through a State Animal Welfare Board and Societies for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
The objective of the policy listed in the notified document strangely includes “creating provision for clean and hygienic meat to the consumers by establishing modern and humane slaughter houses”. While this may be a mandate of the Urban Development Department under the Goa Municipalities Act, 1968 or the Goa City of Panaji Corporation Act, 2002, it has certainly no place in an Animal Health & Welfare Policy of the Animal Husbandry Dept.
Schedule XII inserted into the Constitution vide the 74th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992 lists the powers and authorities of the Urban Local Bodies in accordance with Article 243 W of the Constitution of India. As per directions of the Supreme Court, the regulation of slaughterhouses and ensuring cleanliness and hygiene of meat is the mandate of the Food Safety Department under the Food Safety & Standards Act, 2006 and the State Pollution Control Boards.
The Animal Husbandry Dept and its policies, however, are bound by the Article 48 of the Constitution of India which requires it to preserve and improve breeds of cattle, prohibit the slaughter of cows, calves and other cattle. It is unfortunate that the Animal Husbandry Dept has made this attempt to usurp the power of another Dept and derelict its own duty and obligation of providing clinical services and regulatory services to all animals as well as regulating commercial use of animals.
In contrast, Uttar Pradesh government has removed the construction of slaughterhouses from their mandate under the Uttar Pradesh Municipalities Act, 1916 and Uttar Pradesh Municipal Corporation Act, 1959 so that such commercial facilities are only constructed by private individuals who wish to conduct such businesses/ trades while the Government would only regulate them and enforce the law in accordance with the order of the Supreme Court of India dated 17.2.2017 in Writ Petition (Civil) No. 44 of 2004. This has prevented conflict of interest and paved the way for proper enforcement of law.
Delhi Government on the other hand, has constructed a monstrosity called the Ghazipur Slaughterhouse for buffaloes supposedly to provide clean meat for Delhi. The meat for Delhi's residents has never come from this government slaughterhouse because, as soon as it was made, it was given to a private company to export meat from. The people of Delhi still consume animals illegally slaughtered along roadsides. The Rs 100 crores or so of the public money spent was to make a free facility for this private exporter and he is making millions. Because Meat is GST exempt - he pays no taxes either, The Government is reluctant to crack down on the irregularities and the illegalities taking place in their own facility, due to a conflict of interest and probably because a certain amount of money gets given back privately. How many of these slaughterhouses in talukas built on public land, will be handed over to private operators? So Goa pays to destroy its own lands, water and air so that one businessman can benefit?
There cannot be a greater dichotomy than the Dept entrusted with the duty of providing clinical services to animals under the Directive Principles of State Policy, offering to build slaughterhouses not only for domestic consumption but also for export purposes. The clinical facilities run by the Animal Husbandry Dept in Goa are in shambles. The State Animal Welfare Board has no office, no officers deputed to it, no posts created, no budget and no wherewithal to enforce the law against illegal pet shops, breeders and dairies. The Animal Health and Welfare Policy 2020 finds no mention of these statutory obligations.
There are several other infirmities in the shabbily drafted Policy Document: There is a mention of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Egg Laying Hens) Rules, 2019. No such Rules have been notified till date. Among the Acts and Rules applicable to Veterinary Officers, the Animal Welfare Board (Administration) Rules, 1962 have been mentioned, while these are neither applicable nor binding upon the State Government and are exclusively made for the Central Government’s Animal Welfare Board of India.
No animal can be slaughtered painlessly and humanely. Slaughter inherently requires cruelty. Although it is regulated by a barrage of laws, none follow it. This would not be the case if the State Government officers were not hand in glove, facilitating illegal actions and refusing to regulate meat shops and slaughterhouses.
The brazenness, with which the only Dept which has the constitutional mandate to 'heal the sick animals' has made an attempt to get a piece of the slaughter pie, is disturbing. I am hopeful that the necessary amends will be made by the leadership.
(The writer is a former Union Minister, and a Member of Parliament. The views expressed are her own)