DHARAN, Oct 9: Local units in Dharan have intensified market inspection after being widely criticized for not monitoring the market on a regular basis.
Committees formed by Dharan Sub-metropolis inspected the meat shops not just once but twice within a week. The first inspection was conducted on Thursday and the second on Sunday. The committee monitored altogether 11 slaughterhouses of Dharan-9, vegetable market of Gautampath, Putaliline and Rangachowk, according to Bheshraj Ghimire, Inspection Officer of the sub-metropolis.
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According to him, there was some improvement in the meat shops when they were re-visited on Sunday. "We found out that the slaughterhouses obeyed us as they were clean and found selling hygienic meat when we visited them the second time," said Ghimire. According to the officials involved in the inspection, very few of the slaughterhouses had kept a price list. Not all shops were found covering the meat inside glass slab and most of them were running the slaughterhouses within the shop.
Especially the shops within the vegetable market of Gautampath were found slaughtering chicken inside the shop. As per the standards, the slaughterhouse must be separated from the place where meat is kept for selling. Meat must be stored in a refrigerator before selling but in most of the places, it was kept in open.
"They are playing with the health of consumers by selling meat under zinc roofs and not separating meat shops with the slaughterhouses," said Bishnu Tamrakar, regional vice-chairperson of Forum for Protection of Consumers Rights, adding, "This will be controlled only if the market is monitored regularly and stern action is taken against those putting the consumers' heath at risk."
As per the Animal Slaughterhouse and Meat Inspection Act 1999, it is compulsory for all meat shops to seek permit from the Livestock Service Office. However, none of the meat shops inspected on Sunday had the permit. The inspection committee gave written suggestions to all meat shop owners so that they can make improvements. Ghimire said that stern action would be taken against them if they are found not implementing these suggestions during the next inspection.
