SDMC Panel Proposes To Make It Mandatory For Restaurants To Mention About “Jhatka” Or “Halal” Cut Meat

“Jhatka” and “Halal” are the process of butchering the animals. The proposal now awaits a nod in the SDMC House which is controlled by the BJP.

FILE PIC/AFP.

Delhi: The standing committee of the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) led by Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday, proposed a draft in which it will become mandatory for the restaurants to display weather the meat being sold is “Jhatka” or “Halal”. The proposal now awaits a nod in the SDMC House which is controlled by the BJP. “Jhatka” and “Halal” are the process of butchering the animals, in “Jhatka” the animal is slaughtered in one go, while in “Halal” the blood is drained first before cutting the animal. "There are thousands of restaurants in 104 wards of four zones falling under South Delhi Municipal Corporation. Out of these, meat is served in about 90 per cent of restaurants but it is not mentioned whether the meat being served by the restaurants is 'halal' or 'jhatka'," said the resolution passed by the SDMC panel on Thursday. The resolution also said, “the meat shops also do not make any distinctions and according to Hinduism and Sikhism, eating 'halal' meat is forbidden and against religion.” Standing committee chairman Rajdutt Gahlot on Friday said that the proposal once cleared by the House will mean that restaurants and meat shops will have to "display clearly and visibly" whether they are serving meat cut using 'halal or jhatka' method. "Therefore, the committee resolves that this direction be given to restaurants and meat shops that it should be written mandatorily about the meat being sold and served by them that 'halal' or 'jhatka' meat is available here". "At present, while getting license made, owners take a license for selling one type of meat, and then start selling the other one too". Also, the idea is to let a consumer know about the kind of meat being served to him or her and make an informed choice,” Gahlot said. Earlier in 2017, the SDMC proposed to hide meat and its products from public display, saying that when displayed in open, it may hurt sentiments of people, and hygiene may get affected too. However, the move was not implemented due to protests from shop-owners.