Bengaluru: Will Palike take up CM's plan to modernise meat shops?

Bengaluru: In the latest state budget chief minister Siddaramaiah had proposed to modernise and develop small meat shops across city and state. He had even promised to release Rs 1.25 lakh to each shop that will be modernized. But the BBMP is not being involved in identifying these shops across the city.

There are over 2,452 legal meat shops in city and out of them 540 are mutton shops, 430 sell beef and 1,482 sell chicken. Even though the state government hasn't involved BBMP in identifying the shops, BBMP officials say they are capable of helping state government in identifying the beneficiaries as there are more than 500 illegal shops in the city. BBMP Joint Commissioner for solid waste management Sarfaraz Khan said, “We haven't received any direction yet from the state government on identification of small meat shops to be modernised and developed. If we are given the task we are capable of doing it."

He said that BBMP's animal husbandry department is taking measures to close down shops which are running illegally without trade licence.Joint commissioner of Animal Husbandry Dr G. Anand said, "According to our estimates the number of illegal meat shops in the city is over 500. Meat shops should obtain trade licence from the BBMP and those operating without that will be considered illegal.” They are the ones who are operating in unhygienic conditions and illegally dispose the waste around the city, he said.

•  No of legal meat shops in the city: 2,452
• Mutton shops: 540
• Beef shops: 430
• Chicken shops: 1,482
• Illegal shops: More than 500