Lucknow – The Uttar Pradesh government has issued a directive ordering the closure of illegal slaughterhouses across the state and prohibiting meat shops within 500 meters of religious places. In an official order issued by Amrit Abhijat, Principal Secretary of Urban Development Department instructed all district magistrates, police commissioners, municipal commissioners, and other local authorities to take immediate action to shut down unauthorized slaughterhouses and enforce restrictions on meat sales near places of worship.
The directive cites previous government orders from 2014 and 2017 that aimed to prevent illegal animal slaughter. According to the document, the current administration has prioritized closing illegal slaughterhouses.
To implement this policy, district-level committees have been formed under the chairmanship of District Magistrates. These committees include representatives from the police, pollution control board, animal husbandry department, transport department, labor department, health department, and food safety administration.
The committees are tasked with conducting inspections of slaughterhouses, collecting data on daily animal slaughter, and reporting violations to the state government. The order specifically mentions that no animal slaughter or meat sales should occur near religious places and temples, citing provisions from the UP Municipal Corporation Act 1959 and the Food Safety Acts of 2006 and 2011.
Additionally, the directive emphasizes that from April 6, 2025, during Ram Navami festival, special arrangements should be made to ensure that no animals are slaughtered and no meat is sold in shops on that day.Officials have been instructed to take punitive action against violators according to relevant laws and regulations.The government’s move is likely to impact meat vendors and businesses operating near religious sites across Uttar Pradesh, one of India’s most populous states
