The state government’s decision to ban sale of beef has now put the onus on the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) to regulate business. However, confusion persists about the ban with civic officials and meat sellers saying they have not received any order from the government so far and hence are not aware of the actual position. Within the PMC limits there are 150 licenced traders in the business of selling buffalo and bullock meat. Dr Prakash Wagh, veterinary superintendent, PMC, said that on a average around 50-60 animal were slaughtered in Pune on a weekday and nearly 100 animals on Sundays. Dr Wagh added that they had written to the licensees asking them to stop sale of beef. “The Maharashtra Preservation of Animals Act, 1976, had banned the slaughter of cows, while the new amendment had now stopped the slaughter of bullocks also. Now, we have to ensure only buffalo meat is sold,” he said. Dr Wagh also said that the onus on the implementation of the Act was with the state government, and the PMC was yet to receive directions about the manner in which the ban should be implemented. “We met the deputy commissioner of Animal Husbandary to discuss the issue. Now, we are waiting for further directions,” he said. A study conducted by the Maharashtra Agricultural Competitiveness Project (MACP ) has shown that per day 40-45 tonnes of beef is produced and consumed in Pune. Beef is the second most consumed red meat in the region after poultry. A majority of the animals that come to Pune city are from Pune and its neighbouring districts. The PMC runs 16 meat markets and a total of 328 licensed meat stalls are present in the Pune Metropolitan Region. Of the 75 per cent non-vegetarian population of the region, the study found that 15 per cent of them consumed beef. The projected growth in the market is around 20 per cent for the next 10 years. Meanwhile, representatives of the Meat Traders Association said that they were yet to get any directives from the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) or any other authority about stopping cattle slaughter. “Although the President of India has signed the amendment, the state government and the PMC have not received any orders yet. I am not aware based on what document the PMC veterinary superintendent has issued the notices,” said Aarif Qurueshi of All India Jamiat-Ul-Quraish, an association of meat traders. Meanwhile, the association is planning to “challenge” the ban in the Supreme Court on the grounds of individual’s right to choose his/ her food and the issue of meat traders losing a source of income.
