Dehradun: Chicken supply or disease trade? The matter has reached the Human Rights Commission.
A game of death even before the supply, 65 dead chickens found during a municipal operation.
Dehradun: The seizure of a truck carrying dead chickens from Haryana to Dehradun has raised serious questions about the meat supply and public health system in the city. Social and human rights activist Bhupendra Kumar Laxmi approached the Uttarakhand Human Rights Commission regarding this matter, which came to light after a municipal investigation revealed 65 dead chickens in the truck. The complaint linked the supply of dead and sick chickens to citizens’ right to life and health and demanded a comprehensive investigation.
According to a newspaper report, a truck full of dead chickens was seized during an operation led by Dr. Avinash Khanna, the former Chief Municipal Health Officer of the Municipal Corporation. It was reported that the truck driver fled the scene, after which the police stopped him. During the investigation, 65 dead chickens were found in the truck. The Municipal Corporation team disposed of the dead chickens, while it emerged that the police had filed a challan against the driver.
The issue isn’t just about 65 chickens; the supply system also needs to be monitored.
The complaint filed with the Human Rights Commission stated that if the truck hadn’t been caught in time, the dead or poorly maintained chickens could have ended up in markets, hotels, and restaurants as meat. Based on this, the complaint questioned the effectiveness of the health checks and monitoring systems for chickens coming into the city.
The complaint also raised the issue of clarity regarding the authorized slaughterhouse in Dehradun and the need to ensure necessary checks and inspections for chickens and other animals, as per applicable regulations.
Furthermore, the complaint questioned the regular health checks for live and frozen chickens coming to Dehradun from Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Himachal Pradesh, and demanded that the relevant departments be held accountable.
Questions raised about the role of the Municipal Corporation, Police, Food Safety, and Animal Husbandry Department.
The complainant, not limiting the entire matter to the dead chickens found in a single truck, demanded an investigation into whether meat from sick or dead chickens had previously reached Dehradun markets.
The complaint also sought an investigation into the role of the Municipal Corporation, Police Administration, Food Safety Department, and Animal Husbandry Department and fixing responsibility. The complaint also mentions citizens’ right to life and health, laws related to food safety, and provisions related to animal welfare.
Human Rights Commission sent complaint to the Chief Municipal Health Officer
The Uttarakhand Human Rights Commission has taken cognizance of the complaint and forwarded it to the Chief Municipal Health Officer of the Dehradun Municipal Corporation for necessary action. The Commission’s order directs the concerned officer to take necessary action in accordance with law and regulations.
All eyes are now on what further action the Municipal Corporation and the relevant departments take in this matter, and whether the recovery of dead chickens will be followed by a comprehensive investigation into the health of chickens coming from outside Dehradun, the quality of meat, the supply system, and the condition of authorized slaughter houses.
The recovery of 65 dead chickens may have stopped one truck, but this incident has certainly raised serious questions about the entire system of meat supply and public health monitoring in Dehradun.