HC Seeks J&K Govt Response On Rotten Meat PIL

Srinagar- The High Court of J&K and Ladakh on Wednesday directed Commissioner Secretaries of Housing and Urban Development Department and Sales Tax besides others to file their response to a Public Interest Litigation on sale of rotten, unhygienic meat, fish and poultry products in Jammu and Kashmir.

Hearing the PIL, a Division Bench of Chief Justice Arun Palli and Justice Rajnesh Oswal asked the Commissioner Secretaries and all other official respondents to file their response within ten days.

On the last date of hearing, the court was informed that meat and poultry is transported into J&K from different parts of the country in unhygienic conditions without cold-chain facilities and requisite certification by authorized veterinary officers. The apparent inaction and indifference on part of the concerned authorities including the Directorate of Food Safety, the Municipal Corporation(s), the Health Department as also the law enforcement agencies to curb this menace, demonstrate gross administrative negligence and apathy, the court was informed.

Therefore, it was urged that the recent discovery of large quantities of rotten meat in Kashmir underscores the immediate need for a strict regulatory mechanism. The PIL has been filed practicing lawyer Mir Umar and among others, he seeks enforcement of food safety laws, accountability of authorities, and directions for the establishment of stringent preventive and monitoring mechanisms to ensure that only safe, hygienic meat and poultry products are permitted for sale in J&K, thereby protecting public health and upholding constitutional guarantees.

The petitioner says that in Jammu & Kashmir, meat and poultry consumption is predominantly by the Muslim majority population, for whom adherence to“Halal‟ dietary principles is not merely a preference but a religious obligation.

“Given this demographic reality,“Halal certification” of all meat and poultry products is not just desirable, but necessary to safeguard religious rights, public health, and consumer trust,” the petitioner says, adding,“The recent discovery of large quantities of rotten meat in Kashmir has underscored the urgent need for strict regulatory mechanism.”

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