As Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath sought an action plan for closure of slaughter houses across the State, authorities in Noida, Ghaziabad and Bulandshahr ordered the shutdown of dozens of meat shops.
District officials said meat shops that did not have a licence were told to shut down operations.
The Hindu spoke to the affected owners, some of whom have been running their business without a licence for over two decades.
“I am an illiterate person. I had no idea I need a licence to run my shop. I have bribed cops and government officials of the Nagar Nigam, health department and pollution control department. They should have educated and informed us to obtain a licence. Without any notice, our dreams have been shattered,” said 45-year-old Saleem, who own a meat shop in Shaheed Nagar, Ghaziabad.
“Seven persons work in my Noida shop. Yesterday cops came and asked us to close the shop. We have been running the meat shop for 22 years. We are at a loss, we do not have an option to start another business,” said 34-year-old Imran, who runs a meat shop in Ghaziabad and Noida.
‘Following rules’
Talking to The Hindu , Gautam Budh Nagar district magistrate N. P. Singh said that there are set guidelines to run meat shops and slaughter houses.
“The meat shops and slaughter house owners will have to adhere to the rules, if they want to regularise their shops. Apart from that if the government takes further decision on such shops, then they have to follow that as well,” he said.
But the sudden step by authorities has left shop owners at a complete loss.
Mohd. Irfan Quraishi, 40, who runs a meat business in Ghaziabad, said: “The government should have come up with a policy and given an option to regularise these shops. The sudden action has left thousand of people in the lurch and will cause problems,” he said.
Ashraf Quraishi, 42, who owns a meat shop in Bulandshahr, said he has been running the shop for 25 years and has four workers. “It is my duty to ensure bread and butter for my employees, who have invested their hard work to stand by my business,” Mr. Quraishi said.
