Team Herald
PANJIM: The Qureshi Meat Traders Association (QMTA) has expressed concern that the people managing the affairs of the Goa Meat Complex Limited (GMCL) want it shut down.
According to QMTA President Manna Bepari the abattoir at Usgao has been kept non-functional for more than 10 days. He said, “Cattle that were brought for slaughter last week have not been slaughtered for two days, after the ante-mortem by the doctors of Animal Husbandry on Friday. The norm is that the animal can be slaughtered after 24 hours post the ante-mortem. However, the GMCL personnel waited until Monday when the work of slaughter was stalled.”
Stating that Anjali Anand, a member of animal welfare board from Chennai red flagged the slaughter based on some documentation error, Bepari said the Animal Husbandry Department was at fault for not having demanded the fitness certificate in the prescribed format.
He revealed that until October 23, when the Director of Animal Husbandry issued directions for fitness certificate for transportation of cattle be issued under rule 96 of the Transportation of Animals Rules, 2001, the meat traders were provided fitness certificates on Schedule H under Transportation of Animals Rules 1978.
“The Animal Husbandry department and the GMCL should have revealed that the certificates required to be submitted ought to be according to the new format? Therefore, we feel there are vested interests trying to stall the functioning of the abattoir and shut down the facility,” he added.
He said currently meat traders were forced to bring beef from neighbouring states to supply the Goan markets. “The beef imported and supplied is not as fresh as we supply from the GMCL. The traders cannot afford to keep the meat in the open because by noon the imported beef will get spoiled. GMCL is a very important necessity if Goans have to be supplied with fresh and healthy meat”, he stated.
The association met Agriculture Minister Vijai Sardesai and has sought the intervention of Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar in resolving the issue and helping the traders continue the trade in a legal manner.
