Chicken and other types of poultry fall under the category of “animals” under the Food Safety and Standards Act, the Gujarat government told the Supreme Court on Friday. The High court then directed authorities to crack down on unlicensed meat shops.
That prompted senior lawyer Percy Kavina, who represents chicken shops that have faced legal action for breaching the rules, to say that in such a case, poultry shops would have to hire veterinarians to fully comply with the law.
In January, two NGOs filed a PIL in the Supreme Court to ban the supply of poultry to meat shops, alleging that the birds were illegally slaughtered in these establishments instead of being sent to slaughterhouses.
Civic forces across the state raided meat shops and issued shut-down notices to several of them for violating rules. Several chicken shops were also closed during this drive.The owners of these sealed meat and chicken shops approached the High Court seeking relief.
Justice NV Anjaria and Justice Niral Mehta heard these civil complaints
During a hearing on these applications on Friday, government official Manisha Lavkumar said that the definition of “animal” under the law also includes poultry.
Fish are not included because they are not “killed” but merely pulled from the water, the lawyer said.
Kavina’s lawyer said the inclusion of poultry in the larger meat category “goes against the age-old practice of how meat is sold and consumed.” When poultry is slaughtered in a small, hidden area discreetly, it should not be banned, he said.
If chicken is considered equivalent to meat, “chicken shop owners must appoint a veterinarian to stamp (as in a slaughterhouse),” he said.
“To classify poultry as an animal ignores the way poultry is sold at retail. You insist that poultry is meat and therefore must be inspected and stamped before and after slaughter. It is impossible for small chicken sellers. He will have to keep a vet there,” Kavina said.
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