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Beef ban will leave BMC poorer by Rs1.64 crore a year

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation will end up losing up to Rs1.64 crore annually once the complete ban on the slaughter of cows, bulls, buffaloes and bullocks is implemented at its only slaughterhouse in the city – the Deonar abattoir.

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The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation will end up losing up to Rs1.64 crore annually once the complete ban on the slaughter of cows, bulls, buffaloes and bullocks is implemented at its only slaughterhouse in the city – the Deonar abattoir.

At present, 400 animals are slaughtered every day at the Deonar abattoir, for which the BMC charges beef traders a fee of Rs95 per animal. A charge of Rs15 per animal is also levied for the different services provided by the civic body, like a stable for the animals, electricity and water services.

The BMC also has 18 closed meat vans for transporting the meat from the abattoir to meat shops, to avoid hurting religious sentiments of other communities. The BMC charges Rs100 per van to beef traders. The entire cost sums up to Rs1.64 crore of revenue per year.

On Monday, president Pranab Mukherjee gave his nod to the Maharashtra Animal Preservation (Amendment) Bill, 1995.

The decision came 19 years after the Maharashtra Assembly passed the Bill in 1995.

Cow slaughter was prohibited in the state under the Maharashtra Animal Preservation Act of 1976. The new Act will also ban bulls and bullocks slaughter, which was allowed on a fit-for-slaughter certificate.

Now on, anyone found selling or possessing beef can be jailed for five years and fined Rs10,000.

Dr Apsingh Pawra, general manager of Deonar abattoir admitted that the BMC will suffer a loss, but said he hasn't yet received directives on the matter from higher authorities.

"We only provide services to the traders. Previously, our men were also employed for the slaughter job, but not anymore," said Dr Pawra.

As per the civic body, there are about 900 authorised and more than 1,000 unauthorised meat stalls across the city.

Beef traders have come out strongly against the move. Iqbal Qureshi, president of the Maharashtra Jamat-ul-Quresh BS Association said the move will render lakhs of people associated with the business jobless, and escalate meat prices.

He added: "We are planning to carry out a protest in Delhi soon on the issue. The BJP government has taken a one-sided decision which is against us."

In February, the traders had called a week-long strike alleging harassment from right-wing elements.

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