HC seeks response to PIL on unhygienic meat
Srinagar, Sep 17: The High Court of J&K and Ladakh Wednesday directed J&K’s Commissioner Secretary Housing and Urban Development Department(H&UDD), Commissioner Sales Tax besides others to file their response on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking to curb sale of unhygienic meat, fish and poultry products in J&K.
A division bench of Chief Justice Arun Palli and Justice Rajnesh Oswal directed these authorities to file their response within ten days and adjourned the matter to October 13.
The direction came after the court was informed about the responses filed by the authorities and those who had not filed the same yet. During the last hearing, the court was informed that meat and poultry is transported into J&K from different parts of the country in unhygienic conditions without cold-chain facilities and requisite certification by authorized veterinary officers.
The court was also apprised of the “apparent inaction and indifference on part of the concerned authorities including the Directorate of Food Safety, the Municipal Corporation(s), the Health Department as also the law enforcement agencies to curb this menace, demonstrate gross administrative negligence and apathy”.
It was projected before the court that the recent discovery of large quantity of rotten meat in Kashmir underscores the immediate need for strict regulatory mechanism. The PIL has been filed practicing lawyer Mir Umar and among others, he seeks enforcement of food safety laws, accountability of authorities, and directions for the establishment of stringent preventive and monitoring mechanisms to ensure that only safe, hygienic meat and poultry products are permitted for sale in J&K, thereby protecting public health and upholding constitutional guarantees.
In Jammu & Kashmir, meat and poultry consumption is predominantly by the Muslim majority population, for whom adherence to “Halal” dietary principles is not merely a preference but a religious obligation, says the PIL. “Given this demographic reality, Halal certification of all meat and poultry products is not just desirable, but necessary to safeguard religious rights, public health, and consumer trust,” it says.
The PIL seeks to ensure that meat and poultry intended for Muslim consumers is compulsorily Halal-certified, and the meat processed through other methods (including Jhatka) is appropriately labelled, so that consumers are fully informed and able to exercise their choice.
