By IANS,
New Delhi : The meat traders of the national capital Tuesday made peace with the civic agency over shifting their business to the new abattoir, after years of protests at the closure of the centuries-old Idgah slaughterhouse.
The Delhi Meat Merchant Association (DMMA) assured Mayor Kanwar Sain they would withdraw all the court cases against the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) regarding shifting the capital’s meat trade from the Idgah slaughterhouse to the newly-built, modern Ghazipur abattoir.
“A delegation from the butcher community under the DMMA met the mayor at Town Hall. They also assured the mayor they would cooperate with the MCD in respect of running the Ghazipur slaughterhouse, and said they have called off the agitation on the mayor’s request and his assurance that their grievances would be looked into,” MCD spokesperson Deep Mathur said.
The traders’ strike began soon after the Idgah abattoir near the walled city was closed down Oct 22 after a five-year legal battle between the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and the meat traders’ association.
The meat traders, a majority of whom are based near the slaughterhouse, refused to move to the new high-tech abattoir at Ghazipur in east Delhi, which has been criticised because it is next to a sanitary landfill site and a stinking drain.
The DMMA has now asked that the civic infrastructure should be upgraded around the Ghazipur abattoir. In addition, it has said the capacity of the abattoir should be increased to discourage illegal slaughtering and a proper shelter to keep unsold animals, Mathur said.
The traders have also demanded “a provision of manual slaughtering to meet emergency situation”.
Sain has assured the traders that the MCD would consider their grievances and work out solutions. He said the MCD is “committed to provide best possible civic amenities at Ghazipur slaughterhouse.”