Mohd Irfan
As the Muslim community in Jammu and Kashmir prepares to celebrate Eid ul Adha on June 17, concerns are mounting over the unregulated prices of essential commodities, particularly mutton and sacrificial animals.
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The recent transfer of powers from the Department of Food, Civil Supplies, and Consumer Affairs to the district administration has left consumers feeling vulnerable to potential price gouging by butchers and animal sellers. Eid ul Adha, also known as the Festival of Sacrifice, commemorates Prophet Ibrahim’s unwavering faith and obedience to Allah. However, the joy of this sacred occasion is being overshadowed by fears of exorbitant prices for mutton and sacrificial animals.
A local consumer, who wished to remain anonymous, expressed his frustration, stating, “When none of the authorities keep check on the functioning of these butchers, they will charge exorbitant rates for sacrificial animals and mutton at their own whims and fancies. It’s the gullible consumers who have to bear the brunt for no fault of theirs.”
The government’s decision to revoke the powers of the Department of Food, Civil Supplies, and Consumer Affairs to fix rates of essential commodities has left officials helpless. A government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed, “Powers have been taken away from the Food, Civil Supplies department. Now, the district administration is vested with the powers to fix the rates of essential commodities.”
Currently, mutton is being sold at Rs. 650 per kg in Jammu. Consumers fear that prices may skyrocket during Eid ul Adha, making it difficult for many to afford sacrificial animals. Social activists are urging the government to take immediate action. One activist said, “The government needs to issue an order mandating the fixation of rates for essential commodities in the interest of society at large. Even poor masses should be able to sacrifice animals.”
Meanwhile, in the Kashmir Division, authorities are proactively addressing these concerns. The Divisional Commissioner chaired a meeting directing various departments to ensure uninterrupted essential services like electricity and water during Eid. Additionally, the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) has been instructed to conduct door-to-door collection of animal hides after the sacrifice.
Taking a cue from SMC, Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) Commissioner Rahul Yadav announced similar measures. “Even prior to Eid, our teams were pressed into service to conduct sanitation drives. Now, our teams will perform sanitation drives in different municipal wards in the run-up to Eid ul-Adha. Not only on Eid, but also on Diwali, as you are well aware, it is our bounded duty to maintain our surroundings neat and clean,” JMC Commissioner Rahul Yadav said.
Detailing out the specifics, he stated, “As you know, we have already deployed our vehicles in municipal wards to collect garbage waste. The very motto is to make our Jammu city neat and clean, which is our foremost duty. It looks good and serene when one observes a clean locality,” he vehemently added.
Responding to a query about whether JMC would collect animal hides door-to-door as directed by the Divisional Commissioner Kashmir for Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC), Yadav lamented, “Yes, we will deploy special vehicles for the purpose of collecting hides. Not only hides but also any parts of the sacrificial animals will be collected in vehicles. After all, we as citizens have to maintain cleanliness,” he categorically stated.
He further divulged that special vehicles would be deployed outside slaughterhouses and areas where sacrificial animals would be slaughtered to collect hides and other parts of the sacrificial animals. Asked about the powers taken from the Food and Civil Supplies Department regarding the fixation of rates for essential commodities, and whether his department could check the rates of essential commodities, Yadav asserted, “I can’t comment on this as it’s the Legal Metrology Department vested with those powers,” he added. On being asked about the fines under the Municipal Act for not maintaining hygiene conditions, Rahul Yadav stated, “It can vary depending on the incident, starting from Rs 500 and can be imposed up to Rs 20,000. It is not fixed,” he averred.
When asked about the steps taken by his department to maintain hygiene conditions in mutton shops, as it has been observed that they hang animals without any covering, making them prone to infections, Yadav said, “There is a municipal veterinary wing in our JMC, which is vested with the powers to check hygiene conditions in mutton and chicken shops. Those who do not maintain hygiene are penalized under the act,” he vociferously lamented.
Efforts to reach the Director of Animal Husbandry Jammu for comments were unsuccessful. The recently retired Joint Director Poultry, Dr. Jatinder Singh, and Deputy Director Poultry, Dr. Sunil Bazaz, both redirected inquiries to the Director, citing departmental protocols.
As Eid ul Adha approaches, the administration’s response to these concerns will be crucial. Timely intervention to regulate prices and ensure the availability of quality sacrificial animals will not only facilitate the observance of this sacred festival but also demonstrate the government’s commitment to the welfare of its citizens, regardless of their faith.
