‘Meat sale licence needed for hygiene, public health’

As the state govt moves to introduce a licence fee for meat sellers and tighten regulation of the trade, deputy CM and UDHD minister Vijay Kumar Sinha speaks to TOI’s Jai Narain Pandey about the initiative and its objectives. Excerpts:

What arrangements will the govt make to ban selling mutton in the open?

The rules already exist and we are ensuring that they are followed. While keeping cleanliness in mind for the benefit of people’s health, the urban development and housing department (UDHD) will enforce the rules. The govt is not objecting to anyone’s eating habits. But people should stay healthy in a pure and clean manner. It should not be done in public places. No one should do it openly. Instructions have been given. People have also started following the rules. No one needs to be frightened, but those who do wrong will not be spared.

How much licence fee will be required?

We will decide soon. We are bringing the entire process into a transparent online system.

Opposition has raised doubts saying how will someone selling 1kg or 2kg chicken or mutton afford a licence fee?

The system is not going to cost a lot of money for licences everywhere. Small vendors selling small quantities of fish will be spared. It is applicable to mutton and chicken only in the interest of public hygiene.

How will the govt manage to monitor it?

The purpose of the licence will be to list the sellers who will need to provide information about the quality of meat they are selling to the public. There is also a need to train such people about quality checks. Look at the bird flu problem these days! If the sellers lack knowledge, how can we save people from diseases? We are not supposed to sell meat affected by any disease. Will we not be transferring disease into people's bodies without a quality check? Making the common people aware is our goal.

What about the small-time vendors?

The system must be followed by all. The licence fee is not going to be thousands or lakhs of rupees. It will be very minimal. We just want to bring it into a system and list every mutton seller.

How will corruption be dealt with, as rules and regulations are often compromised by the police and officials themselves, particularly in small places and bylanes?

See, we have determined and restricted the responsibility and role of the police station in the revenue and land reforms department. Even in the urban development and housing department, checking and monitoring the licence system will not be the responsibility of the police, but of our department officials. The police are responsible for maintaining law and order.

Could it lead to an illegal ‘tehsildari’ culture?

We will make people realise that the govt is for them and is their benefactor, not there to trouble them. This double-engine govt is taking new initiatives.

When is this licence system expected to be implemented?

The process has started. Some people will try to create a ruckus through strikes. But it is not going to affect us. I respect the good people who abide by the rules. And I have no sympathy for those who break the rules.