With only a few days left until Christmas, Goans are concerned about supplying meat for the holidays during the festive season.
The Archdiocese of Goa has written to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant requesting his intervention in the Karnataka government’s proposal to ban the slaughter of not only cows, but also bulls and buffaloes in the state. He said the move would lead to a consumer shortage in the coastal state.
Similarly, beef traders have also communicated via memorandum their concerns regarding the implementation of the law in Karnataka, stating that it would lead to losses of up to 1 million rupees per day.
Manna Bapari, Chairman of the Goa Beef Traders Association, said: “Between 15 and 20 tons of beef comes from Karnataka every day. Many people depend on this for their livelihoods. Hoteliers, traders from beef, cold stores, etc. will have to close. Who will take responsibility for this? Can the minister of animal husbandry take responsibility for this? “
The BJP government in Goa has been pushed into an awkward spot with Sawant now exploring various options to cover the supply shortfall as Christmas and the New Year approach.
On Thursday, the CM had said that the state government is aware of the beef shortage and is taking steps to solve the problem. “We are making all the arrangements for the meat to be available in the state,” he had said. A meeting had taken place with officials from the department of animal husbandry to discuss ways to overcome the crisis, he said.
The Karnataka government, on the other hand, ruled out reconsidering or withdrawing the legislation. The state’s animal husbandry minister, Prabhu Chavan, said the anti-slaughter law will not be reconsidered, adding that he had consulted with states such as Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, where similar laws exist.
“I will make sure that no meat crosses the borders if Karnataka once the law is notified. I have also not received any communication from the Goa CM about the supply shortage in the state,” said Chavan.
“The Goa CM is from our party. I don’t know why he made such a statement. I don’t have anything legally sent to my office either. He must have said it on TV, but officially I haven’t received anything. I don’t need to do anything about it.
“There is already a 1964 law. After we introduce this new amendment and the bill is passed in the House, we will make sure that not even 10 kg of meat leaves Karnataka,” he said.
Meanwhile, traders are already feeling the sharp sting of shortages, even though the proposed law has yet to be notified in Karnataka. Business has started to decline amid concerns about stiff fines and prison time.
“If we don’t get meat from Karnataka, we will be forced to get it from states like Kerala. This will be very expensive to transport and we will have to pass the cost on to consumers,” Bapari said, asking Sawant to intervene. as businesses and tourism in the state will be affected by the move.
Echoing the merchants’ concerns, an arm of the Archdiocese, the Council for Social Justice and Peace, urged Sawant to urgently intervene. He noted that the issue would affect not only the livelihoods of meat traders, but also seriously affect the hospitality and tourism sectors in Goa.
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