LAHORE, Dec 13: Meat shops in the city closed on Monday for an indefinite period following the closure of abattoirs as a sequel to the suspension of arrival of animals over a dispute over the rate of entry fee.

Mutton and beef disappeared from the market almost completely as a result of the closure of the slaughterhouse. Mutton of animals slaughtered by butchers clandestinely was, however, available at a few shops at prices dictated by meat sellers.

The dispute over the rate of fee paid by traders for bringing animals into the provincial metropolis for slaughtering arose following the issue of a notification by the Punjab Local Government Department on Sunday for charging the fee at the rate of three percent of the price of the animal instead of Rs20 for every goat and sheep and Rs90 for cows, buffaloes and camels.

Arrival of the animals into the provincial metropolis was suspended as animal traders refused to pay the entry fee at the new rate as they would have to pay a minimum of Rs75 for the entry of every goat and sheep and Rs360 or more for every buffalo, cow or camel into the provincial metropolis under the new entry fee formula.

The Punjab Local Government Department issued the notification resulting in suspension of arrival of animals into the provincial metropolis after the Allama Iqbal Town Council controlling the Kot Kamboh Slaughterhouse adopted a resolution for the recovery of fee on the basis of the price of the animals under its instructions.

The department insisted on adoption of the resolution for linking the entry fee to the price of animals by the council on the grounds that fee could not be charged at a uniform rate under the Punjab Local Government Ordinance taxation rules.

The TMA opposed linking of entry fee to the price of the animals on the grounds that it would result in the increase in the already high meat prices but the department insisted on it as it was a legal requirement.

It, however, allowed the TMA to charge the fee at the rate of three per cent against five to seven percent being charged in the other cities. The TMA sent the proposal to the department after meeting the formalities of inviting objections to it through the press and adoption of a resolution by the town council.