West Bengal government makes fit certificate mandatory for animal slaughter

The newly elected BJP government in West Bengal has issued a modified notification under the West Bengal Animal Slaughter Control Act 1950, banning the slaughter of bovines at public places.

The animals can be slaughtered only at municipal slaughterhouses or at those designated by the local administration.

The notice also states that no cattle or buffalo can be slaughtered without official certification, which declares the animal fit for slaughter.

According to the notification, a bovine can only be slaughtered if the municipality chairman or a Panchayat samiti president, and a Government Veterinary Surgeon, jointly issue a certificate stating that the animal is fit for slaughter. This would mean they should both agree in writing that the animal is over 14 years of age for work and breeding purposes, or that the animal is permanently incapacitated due to old age, injury, deformity, or any other incurable disease.

In case of refusal of such a certificate, the aggrieved person may appeal to the state government within 15 days from the date on which the certificate was rejected.

Anybody violating the specified rules may be punished with a six-month jail, or a fine of up to Rs 1,000, or both. “All offences committed under the 1950 Act shall be treated as cognisable offenses,” read the notice.