NAWABSHAH, May 15: People of the city have been forced to consume unhygienic meat due to the closure of the only slaughter house two years ago.

The taluka municipal administration owned the slaughter house of Jam Saheb Road near Linepar which was reportedly closed because of a tussle with the Animal Husbandry Department. The place lacked water, power and drainage facilities at the time of operation thus deserted by butchers.

The absence of the facility forced butchers to slaughter animals in their homes, shops and on roads thus exposing people to disease and damaging sewage system as the waste was left there to decay. No post-mortem is carried out by the Animal Husbandry Department with meat reaching consumers without verification of animals’ health.

Talking to ‘Dawn’, butchers revealed of bribing veterinary and municipal administration officials to get meat stamped without formal inspection of slaughtered animals. They normally procure sick animals at discounted rates and get handsome return as meat prices are fixed by butchers without any role of the Market Committee while District Price Fixation Committee is yet to come to the rescue of people. Beef is being marketed between Rs140-180 and mutton for Rs220-240 per kg without being checked by the officials concerned. Another way to cheat poor consumers is by weighing less than the asked quantity along with drenching meat with water to make it heavy. Butchers openly loot people by applying unethical practices of all sorts.

District husbandry Officer Dr Barkat Lakho said the slaughter house was closed more than a year ago because of the non-serious attitude of taluka municipal authorities. The house lacked water, electricity, sanitation and a room for the veterinary officer to officiate from he said, adding the stamp of inspection too, is lying with them.

Taluka Municipal Officer Nawaz Ali Domki denied keeping the stamp and said slaughter house was closed because of the indifferent attitude of Veterinary Officer in performing his duties. He claimed of the availability of water and power at the house and blamed the Animal Husbandry Department’s apathy towards making it redundant.