Animal Husbandry Minister, Ramesh Tawadkar is not as much a controversy’s child as some of his other party members. But his casual remark last week, a decision on banning beef in Goa will be taken in three months, has not just evoked angry reactions from south Goa, but has deeply worried those who make a living off the sale of beef.
The shocker came on Monday when Tawadkar didn’t rule out a beef ban but asserted that the state government will take a decision within three months. This took Salcete by shock and Herald immediately hit the Beef Complex at Gandhi Market and the beef vendors section at the New SGPDA market to check what the reaction to this statement is.
We were taken aback to find most beef shops shut at the SGPDA market and all busy renovating their stalls, fixing new wall tiles, double sinks, setting new counters etc.
“The Goa meat complex and the health authorities have come and made us invest in all this. They want us to have mobile STP, wall tiles, double sinks, more taps and all this is a huge investment, mind you,” asserted Altaf Sheikh who works at the Al Manas beef counter.
Like Altaf, other vendors explain how they have spent almost two months keeping shut and losing huge business because the meat complex is not supplying beef to them and not making any arrangements for alternate beef supply after supply was stopped from Maharashtra.
“Mostly our Muslim brothers are all meat vendors in both the markets. This government’s aim is in the name of religion to ban beef and then put us in trouble. Our livelihood was completely cut-off for the month; we struggled with our finances and management of our families. Not getting beef to consume is a whole different story,” said Shahil Khan who works at Khusnumanh Beef Shop, the biggest beef supplier in the Gandhi Market.
But the beef vendors are all praise for Lyndon Monteiro, Goa Meat Complex Chairman for getting alternate beef for them at least for now. “It’s a little expensive but he has been arranging beef from Bijapur, Karnataka post the ban in Maharashtra and we’re able to run our businesses. We hope the Modi government or the Goa government doesn’t ruin this now with a ban. You got to realize we’re spending a lot on these renovation requirements that they want and it’s time our business doesn’t suffer,” stated a helpless Masood Bhai who’s been in the beef supply for 20 years, as he awaited a huge beef consignment at Ponda as informed to them by Monteiro. They also await that slaughter at Ponda will begin once again and the beef prices will come down.
Meanwhile Monteiro clarified that the Goa Meat Complex plant is one built in 1982 and doesn’t have an Affluent Treatment Plant to meet today’s capacity.
“Our ATP can’t handle today’s requirements. 800 litres of waste water is generated from the slaughter of one animal and only 50 animals will generate 40,000 litres of waste water. Our capacity is a minimal for 300 slaughters and that too, the unit has problems. Slaughter is stopped while all these problems are being fixed on a war footing for better hygiene,” he explained.
He meanwhile stated that the beef complex wants the vendors to also follow the same stringent standards, hence the need for renovations. “I keep meeting the CM daily and you have seen the public assurances so why make these vague statements to incite the minorities? Nobody in Goa will be denied beef or the beef supply for business,” stated Monteiro.
The assurances are not enough to calm the Muslim minority who are dependent on the beef trade and have already suffered huge losses.
