BAHAWALPUR, Aug 16: The only slaughterhouse in the city is in a shambles and the meat available in the market is unhygienic and substandard.

Around five months ago, the Punjab government issued a directive to the city TMA to redress the complaints about poor sanitation at the slaughterhouse, but the concerned officials did nothing in this regard.

A visit to the slaughterhouse revealed that the slaughterhouse lacked suitable flooring, water and lighting arrangements. There was no electricity generator either. The record of slaughtered animals was also not being maintained.

In the absence of required facilities, most of the local butchers hesitate to bring their animals to the slaughterhouse and prefer to slaughter the animals at their own houses in the walled city creating a nuisance for their neighbours.

TMA officials told this reporter that the TMA did not spend money on maintenance of the slaughterhouse and simply auctioned off the contract for its control annually. Due to the negligence of local authorities, people are at the mercy of butchers, who slaughter lean and weak animals and sell the meat at high prices.

FISH FARMS: People were being provided fish seed and other incentives to set up fish farms on agricultural land, stated Punjab minister for fisheries Jam Muhammad Hashmi while addressing a meeting here.