HIGH COURT OF TRIPURA
_A_G_A_R_T_A_L_A_
WP(C)(PIL) No.02 of 2019
Sri Ankan Tilak Paul
……Petitioner-in-person
V E R S U S
The State of Tripura and others
……Respondent(s)
Petitioner-in-person : Sri Ankan Tilak Paul, Advocate.
For Respondent(s) : Mr. T.D. Majumder, Sr. Advocate, Mr. Tapash Halam, Advocate.
HON’BLE THE CHIEF JUSTICE MR. INDRAJIT MAHANTY HON’BLE MR. JUSTICE S.G. CHATTOPADHYAY
_O_ R_ D_ E_ R_
22/02/2022
(Indrajit Mahanty, CJ)
Heard learned counsel for the respective parties. Dr. Shailesh Kumar Yadav (IAS), Municipal Commissioner, Agartala Municipal Corporation is present to assist the Court. He brings to our notice the fact that a tender has already been floated by the Agartala Municipal Corporation (AMC, for short) on 21.02.2022 and this tender pertains to construction of abattoir/slaughter house. He submits that once the tender is finalized the time given for construction and completion of construction thereof is expected to be within a period of 18 months. He submits that this tender has been made by the AMC in
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anticipation of financial sanction. He further submits that total number of 139 persons have been given trade licenses for dealing with meat.
After hearing learned counsel for the respective parties and Shri Yadav in person, we issue the following directions :
(i) The AMC should prepare a long term plan for not only setting up the abattoir/slaughter house but also for ensuring disposal of garbage in an appropriate scientific manner (which we are told is an additional feature of the slaughter house for which tender has been floated).
(ii) All authorities including the local police authorities are hereby directed to render all necessary assistance to the AMC for enforcing and/or assisting in carrying out its duties.
(iii) If more people apply for licenses the same shall be considered and disposed of at an early date so that people are not deprived of essential needs.
(iv) Inspection must be carried out of all license premises and in particular attention should be kept that hygienic conditions are being maintained within the license premises. Sale of meat products should not be allowed in public places and/or streets.
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(v) AMC shall consider providing locations where slaughter can be carried out till the slaughter house is made operational and such locations be appraised to the licensee concerned. (vi) Appropriate bins be also provided to all licensee where they can collect all waste material for disposal through the AMC disposal system.
(vii) AMC is also directed to seek assistance of the Veterinary Department to post few of their officials who shall be given the authority to certify the quality of meat or meat products that are being made available for public sale.
This Court is conscious that this certification is likely to take some time and consequently these directions shall be implemented within 6(six) months from today. The pollution control authority shall also carry out necessary steps to assist the Municipal authorities in maintaining sanitation and hygiene of all these areas. We also direct the AMC along with the Health officials to visit all the hospitals and/or nursing homes to find out the method of disposal of polluting materials generated from the hospitals.
Apart from the above, AMC shall also consider the need for additional resources and/or location for setting up of additional sewage treatment plants to meet the needs of the entire expanding city.
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Obviously, the object behind it would be to try and reduce and/or stop flow of untreated water into the rivers or rivulets around the town. In this respect, the directions shall be carried out by the AMC and we hope and trust that all agencies including the police authorities, the pollution control authorities as well as the persons who are operating the Government hospitals as well as private nursing homes to provide all necessary assistance in this regard. In this respect, this Court also directs the Finance Department to provide all necessary financial support for conducting the activities as well as the construction of the abattoir /slaughter house for which tender has already been floated at the earliest.
The aforesaid directions as contained shall also be used by the appropriate department of the State Government including Finance, Urban Development and other co-related departments to implement the aforesaid directions in all Municipal bodies throughout the State to the extent feasible and financially possible. The AMC is further directed to bring to the notice of the Forest Department, particularly Chief Wildlife Warden if they come across any sale of banned endangered species of animals and in that event the Forest Department shall take all necessary steps to ensure that such sale does not take place and necessary steps in accordance with law shall be initiated by them. We further direct that an affidavit shall be filed before this Court regarding compliance within
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6(six) months time and on such filing of such affidavit, the matter may be placed before the appropriate Bench for consideration.
With these observations and directions the matter stands disposed of. Pending application(s), if any, also stands disposed of.
(S.G. CHATTOPADHYAY), J (INDRAJIT MAHANTY), CJ Dipesh
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