LAHORE, Feb 7: The city district government has succeeded in curtailing sale of calf meat as mutton in a campaign launched against the menace.

District food security officer Dr Riaz Husain told Dawn on Friday that over 23 tons of calf meat had been seized and burnt during the campaign started in January. Fines worth Rs50,000 had also been imposed on sellers.

He said over 90 per cent of shops selling calf meat in the Walled City, Batapur and Kachhupura areas of Ravi Town and Shalimar Town had so far been closed down as a result of the campaign. The remaining sellers would also be forced to stop the fraudulent business.

He said the meat sellers were slaughtering one to two years old calves daily for selling their meat as mutton. Owners usually sell the male calves to butchers to make an extra buck.