Denial For Slaughterhouse Permit On Ground That A City Is A 'Religious' One Is 'Wholly Unacceptable': MP High Court

The Madhya Pradesh High Court recently stated that denying a permit for the establishment of a slaughterhouse on the grounds that a city is religious—in the instant case, Mandsaur city—is wholly unacceptable. With this, the High Court directed the Municipal Council of Mandsaur to issue a No Objection Certificate to Petitioner Sabir Hussain, seeking permission to establish a slaughterhouse in the city of Mandsaur to slaughter buffalos and trade in meat. Furthermore, the Court found the argument that Mandsaur is a religious city and a hence permission forthe establishment of a slaughterhouse cannot be given as wholly unacceptable as the Court observed thus: “The issue is regulated by specific legal provisions and even the notification which has been issued by the State Government on 09.12.2011 has declared an area of only 100 meter in radius to be a sacred area. Respondent No.3 is not bound by such recommendations and cannot even rely upon them to not exercise power vested in it under the Act, 1961.” Against this backdrop, noting that since the process of fixing the location for setting up of the slaughterhouse has already been initiated by respondent No.3 and which is pending approval of the State Government, the Court directed the authority to issue a NOC to the petitioner for setting up of a slaughterhouse.