Retired judges to head committees to supervise slaughter houses

Taking a dim view of slaughter houses, some of which were operating without licences, the Supreme Court Thursday ordered that the state committees supervising them would now be headed by an experienced judicial officer, and asked chief justices of high courts to nominate retired district judges.

Directing the appointment of an experienced judicial officer as convenor of the state committees for the supervision and inspection of slaughter houses, the bench of Justice K.S. Radhakrishnan and Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose said there was "no periodical supervision or inspection" of the slaughter houses in various parts of the country.

It said the Action Taken Reports indicated that in many states, slaughter houses were functioning without licences and even licenced slaughter houses were not following the government guidelines.

An "experienced judicial officer" can function as the convener of the state committees, said Justice Radhakrishnan.

The apex court asked the chief justices of the high courts in the country to "nominate the name of a retired district judge for a period of two years as the convener of the committee so as to enable him to send the quarterly reports to this court".

It said the central and state governments have raised "no objection in adopting such course, so that the committees could function efficiently".

The committees for the supervision and inspection of slaughter houses in the states and union territories were set up in pursuance to the apex court order Oct 10, 2012 as it was felt that there was an "extreme necessity" for constituting such committees.