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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Rajya Sabha panel for review of meat export policy -Vijay Pinjarkar

Rajya Sabha panel for review of meat export policy -Vijay Pinjarkar

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published Published on Mar 12, 2014   modified Modified on Mar 12, 2014
-The Times of India


NAGPUR: A Rajya Sabha Committee on Petitions has urged the government to review meat export policy and recommended not to grant permission for any new slaughter house until a critical analysis by a dedicated commission is complete. It also advocated a review of policy of giving subsidies to meat exporters.

The report was submitted on February 13 by a 10-member committee headed by Bhagat Singh Koshyari. MP from Nagpur Avinash Pande was also one of its members. It was constituted in May 2013. The report was submitted on a petition by Vijay Ratnasunder Surishwarji Maharaj (Mumbai) and two others.

The committee got overwhelming response and more than 10 lakh memoranda were received by it. The petition demanded review of meat export policy introduced in 1991 to tide over acute foreign exchange shortage in the country. Several private sector export-oriented slaughter houses have since been set up in the country under this policy.

The petitioners contended that meat export policy was violative of the constitutional provisions which in general provide for compassion for living creatures including protection of environment, forest and wildlife.

The commerce secretary had submitted that export of only buffalo meat sourced from recognized abattoirs was permitted. He also submitted that the policy was implemented by state governments and ban would lead to unemployment, loss of foreign exchange, increase in number of unproductive animals, crisis in ancillary industries. The exports earned almost $3.2 billion in 2012-13, valuable foreign exchange for the country.

However, after meeting stakeholders and petitioners, the committee found that Indian economy was based on agriculture and as per the 2011 census 72.2% of the population still lived in villages and survived on agriculture. Cattles were still backbone of agriculture.

The basic principles of Indian culture and philosophy taught compassion for animals. The committee recommended a more humane and compassionate approach towards preventing slaughter of animals.

Kanakrai Savadia of Sukrut Nirman Charitable Trust, and Naresh Kadyan, non-official member on committee for slaughter houses, demanded immediate action on the recommendations.

Taking a serious view towards unhygienic conditions prevailing in and around the abattoirs in the country and the pollution caused due to dumping of wastes in the open, the panel recommended that health ministry send a team to know the status of slaughter houses.

The committee was distressed to note that there were several departments dealing with animal issues ie animal husbandry, animal welfare board, food processing, health and family welfare, dairying & fisheries, MoEF, commerce ministry etc resulting in chaos.

Recommendations of RS Committee

Critical analysis of meat export policy by a commission comprising farmers and experts

Stop opening of new abattoirs unless old ones are administered and maintained properly as per the APEDA guidelines

Ban pyre burning, composting, mass burial or open farm burial, commercial landfilling and fermentation of carcasses

Animal husbandry may undertake a national survey by taking at least five districts in each state on a random basis to study the declining female buffalo population

Stop export of meat of female buffaloes. Diseased buffaloes are being blatantly slaughtered and their meat is entering the food chain

Adopt chemical stunning for smaller animals like goat and sheep

Abattoirs should have zero effluent release beyond the premises

Issue necessary directions to paramilitary forces that such activity shall be taken as a violation. Prevent smuggling of live animals, mainly cows, through borders


The Times of India, 12 March, 2014, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/developmental-issues/Rajya-Sabha-panel-for-review-of-meat-export-policy/articleshow/31864487.cms


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