Hotels procuring unstamped meat products to lose licence

The Chennai Corporation has issued notice to all hotels directing them to stop procuring unstamped meat products from unauthorised butchers.

As many as 2,700 hotels in the city have been identified in the 15 zones for issuing the notice, said a Corporation official. The licence of hotels issued by the Corporation under the provisions of Section 279 of the CCMC Act will be cancelled if such business units violate the contravening conditions of the Act, said the official.

According to the official, butchers who have not obtained licence under Section 309 of the CCMC Act for setting up of meat shops will not be permitted to supply meat products in the city.

The Corporation regulates mutton or chicken stalls under CCMC Act 309 and 349 (21). The civic body on Monday seized 200 kg of unstamped mutton and beef in zone 5. Officials conducted raids on an outlet that was supplying unhygienic meat procured from Ambur and Vaniyambadi to hotels in the city.

Health department officials sealed the shop on Monday.

The meat products were destroyed in the Corporation dump yard. The civic body has seized 9.5 tonnes of meat from trains in the past few days.

The action has been initiated following a report in The Hindu on Wednesday. Investigations revealed that meat derived from rotting carcasses in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh had been finding its way to shops and eateries in the city.

The civic body has taken action against business units that procured carcasses from Nellore, Vijayawada, Kakinada and Ajmer and transported the unhygienic meat in trains to the city.

Raids on such business establishments will continue.