Holy Cow! Minister Khader Opted for a Clean Abattoir, but Fumed BJP against It
Mangaluru: Holy Cow- seems like it’s once again an issue of Beef and Slaughter House. The BJP once who wanted a clean abattoir are now against Minster U T Khader using Smart City money to construct a state-of-the-art Abattoir/slaughter house. In response to the comments made by BJP MP Shobha Karandlaje accusing Karnataka cabinet minister UT Khader of minority appeasement over suggestion to provide funds for abattoir ‘known to kill cattle’, and also against the BJP leaders criticizing on his plans to have a better and cleaner Abattoir, Minister U T Khader during a press meet held at Circuit House said, “I want to tell these BJP leaders that the slaughter house was once run by Bajrang Dal, and so why are they not saying about it”
He further said , “BJP MP Shobha Karandlaje and BJP leaders are accusing me of allotting the funds of Rs 15 crore under the Mangaluru Smart City to be used towards new abattoirs. They are alleging that the abattoir, to which the funds are diverted is also known for slaughtering stolen cattle – thereby “maligning the interests” of the majority Hindu community. And they are attacking me for resorting to “minority appeasement. They have also said that the Minority appeasement by maligning the sentiments of Hindus is a dangerous threat to democracy, which is nothing but nonsense. I want to tell my BJP friends, that my job in the Mangaluru Smart City Ltd (SPV) is only to make suggestions and the final decisions rest with a 15-member board of the special purpose vehicle (SPV)”.
“Mangaluru City Corporation Ltd makes a clarion call to Mangaluru’s responsible, right thinking and smart citizenry to post their valuable suggestions and recommendations to make Mangaluru a truly Smart Global City. Your valuable suggestions would help Mangaluru to formulate a Smart City Vision, Goal sand Strategy to achieve objectives, states the Mangaluru City Corporation says about the purpose of the SPV on its website. The decisions are taken by the board of the SPV which consists of MD & Chairman (Mohammed Nazeer), Manguluru Mayor (Bhaskar Moily), four corporators, seven IAS officers, along with the leader of the opposition in the council (BJP’s Premananda Shetty) “added Khader.
Minister Khader further said, “MD and a board of secretaries they have the final decision. In a smart city, good health of citizens is of a primary concern which comes as a result of hygiene which is a goal of the Central government’s Swach Bharat plan. Since 80 percent population of the city eats meat, I made a suggestion that funds should be allocated for a slaughterhouse. The slaughterhouse is an official one which was auctioned to and ran by the Bajrang Dal for one full year when BJP was in corporation. Why BJP is not saying anything about this. My aim is to have a clean slaughter house, near a place where the waste could be disposed off easily, without creating any smell around. I even have plans, like in Dubai, where the Chicken are cleaned at a place, and then only brought to the selling store. Unlike here in Mangaluru, we see Chicken being cut and cleaned right at the shop, which is not hygienic”
“Along with the suggestion to provide funds for the abattoir, I made several other suggestions to include hospitals, smart highways etc. It is an issue of hygiene so that waste material from the slaughtered animals is disposed of properly and does not reach the groundwater and rivers and pollute them. Even the leader of the opposition in the council/Corporator Premananda Shetty was also present when I made the suggestion but nobody objected. Why are they raising the issue now. It is all in the hands of the Central Government which is funding Our Smart City to approve my plans on new abattoirs, and until then I can’t say anything whether it would materialize or not. BJP is just politicizing a trivial matter in this regard” said U T Khader.
Khader further said, “Before they accuse me they should meet the right person in the Central Urban Development department, to find out the right thing. I have been criticized for not showing any interest in having a Gow-shala in the City- I am ready to implement it, but someone has to approach me with the right plans- keeping quite and raising comments is useless. The BJP members are only taking about Swachh Bharath, but when it comes to reality they stay behind or hide. I have also suggestions that beef should be sold only in the morning and not any other time, to avoid any controversies. My intention is to have a Smart City according to the guidelines”.
To a few questions raised by couple of the journos as to why MCC is allowing flex banners displayed during Mangaluru Dasara, even after a regulation was passed on 15 March 2015, that no illegal flex banners/hoardings should be displayed irrespective of religion etc-for which minister Khader and MCC Mayor said that they take it easy only during festival times on such issues. Khader also said, “If MCC is reluctant to take down my flex banners/hoardings, why allow them to remove Mangaluru Dasara publicity materials. But the answers from both the minister and mayor didn’t make any sense to the journos, and they were not happy with it. Seemed like our netas “Don’t Practice What They Preach”.
Former MCC mayor Sashidhar Hegde, MCC Deputy Mayor Mohammed Kunjathbail, corporator Naveen D’souza were among many other Congress representatives present during the meet.