Slaughter houses in Gujarat running without license: CAG

Gandhinagar: The slaughter houses in Gujarat are running their business without obtaining license under the Food Safety and Standards Act, a CAG report said.

The report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India, tabled on Friday on the floor of the Gujarat Assembly, came on a day when the BJP-ruled state government passed a Bill proposing life term for those found to be involved in cow slaughter and 10-year jail for those involved in sale or transportation of beef.

In it's report for General and Social Sectors for 2016, the CAG noted that only 55 meat shops have been registered in Gujarat, a state where almost 39.05 per cent of the population is non-vegetarian.

"FSS Act provided that no person shall carry on any food business without registration or license. As of March 2016, only 55 meat shops across the state have been registered.

Slaughter houses in the state were running their business without obtaining license under the Act," noted CAG.

During it's audit, CAG observed that nine slaughter houses are functioning without license in five cities and towns of Gujarat, including Jamnagar (2), Rajkot (1), Surat (2), Surendranagar (3) and Vadodara (1).

The CAG further slammed the state Food and Drugs Control Administration (FDCA) for not taming such meat shops and slaughter houses under the ambit of the Act.

"As per the baseline survey of 2014, 39.05 per cent of the population in the state was non-vegetarian. Despite this, FDCA had not taken any measures to bring the slaughter houses and meat shops under the FSS Act," the report said.

The CAG recommended the government to take action to bring them under the Act and ensure compliance.

In it's assurance to the CAG in September 2016, FDCA said that instruction would be issued to the officials to cover all the slaughter houses and meat shops under the FSS Act, said the report.