Animal health certificates issued flouting norms

NEW DELHI: The ongoing probe into alleged export of cow meat from India by passing it off as buffalo meat has shed light on glaring administrative lapses and brazen disregard of the due process by suspected traders as well as their facilitators.

For instance, the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Slaughter House) Rules, 2001 stipulate that “the veterinary doctor shall examine thoroughly not more than 12 animals in an hour and not more than 96 animals in a day”.

However, ET found that a veterinary officer in the animal husbandry department of Uttar Pradesh issued certificates of nearly 1,425 animals in a single day on June 16, 2017, when he examined 142,500 kg of “buffalo” meat. A week later, on June 23, the veterinary officer examined certificates of another 855 animals and examined 85,500 kg of meat.


According to an order passed by the secretary in the state animal husbandry department on April 1, 2000, no veterinary official can conduct examination of animals in slaughterhouses or issue any certificates for meat or for live animals. ET had reported on March 20 that meat meant for export is required to have an accompanying health certificate from a laboratory along with ante-mortem and postmortem reports. In this instance, the certificates issued by the veterinary officer for a meat company said that the officer was sent “on deputation” to the company.

Enquiries, however, revealed that the UP government has no such provision for deputation or creation of posts in slaughterhouses. The website of the company in question says it is a non-government company providing ‘highest quality halal, fresh and frozen, buffalo, sheep and goat meat products’.

It also says it received a state government award with a first prize and that it is a recipient of the Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) award for export promotion.

The chairperson of the Uttar Pradesh Slaughter Monitoring Committee (Urban Development Committee) wrote back saying that he would respond to ET’s queries, but he did not do so.

DELHI LAB UNDER SCANNER
A number of meat consignments confiscated by the police and government agencies were accompanied by “dubious” health certificates issued by the Disease Diagnostic Laboratory of the Delhi government’s animal husbandry department.

Dr Jitendra Kumar Gaur, director, animal husbandry, Delhi government said that a report had been submitted to the “higher authorities” in the state government after a probe was conducted. He said the laboratory had stopped issuing such “health certificates” since 2016 due to reasons including lack of upgradation of infrastructure.

However, ET found that a few such certificates were issued last year, including two on November 7, 2017. “Nothing can be ruled out. These (certificates) may be forged by the traders (exporters) or with the help of an insider (in the laboratory),” Gaur said, adding that the laboratory had stopped issuing such certificates after he took charge in April 2017. Such laboratory inspection reports are titled ‘veterinary health certificate’, which, an official said, appears to be aimed at confusing the authorities. “Plus, the reports don’t follow any legal format of either a health certificate or a laboratory meat inspection certificate,” an official said on condition of anonymity.