A new license policy for meat shops in Delhi suggests a minimum distance of 150 meters between the shops and religious places or cremation grounds. The policy is among the 54 resolutions passed by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) which aims to standardise licensing fees and regulations.
The new policy reportedly aims to maintain distance between the meat shops and religious places to ensure respect for religious sentiments and public pathways. However, the MCD will reportedly not take the distance between the shops and religious places into consideration if the latter was established after the grant of the license.
The policy will allow only such meat shops to open near a mosque that sells approved species, except pork, provided the ‘no objection certificate’ has been approved by the mosque or the imam. There will be no restriction on the size of the shops in commercial areas.
Currently, in residential areas, the minimum allowed size for a meat shop is 20 square meters, as per the Delhi Master Plan 2021. However, there are no size restrictions for shops in commercial areas. The mandated minimum size for meat processing plants is 150 square meters.
The new policy reportedly seeks to eliminate the discrepancies in licensing fees and regulations among the north, south, and east corporations. The new policy also suggests fixed fees for issuing and renewing licenses up to Rs 18,000 for shops and Rs 1.5 lakh for processing units.
“Before the unification, the three civic bodies had their own policies for granting licenses to meat shops and processing units, as well as different fees and penalties. We have been advocating for a uniform policy for a long time,” an MCD official stated.
The policy will be effective after the Department of Veterinary Services issues the notification. Moreover, the policy adds that the fees and penalties will be hiked by 15 per cent after every three financial years from the date the license is issued.
Meanwhile, the meat traders’ body has reportedly threatened to move court against the policy. The Delhi Meat Merchants Association has expressed that the policy will lead to corruption.
“Why would an illegal shop owner who finds it difficult to pay even ₹2,700 will now pay ₹7,000 as renewal charges, if he can manage by paying a little amount to the local police? This will actually cause a huge loss in revenue to the MCD and also lead to corruption,” an official of the association said.
The association has also threatened to stage a demonstration.
