ibn sultan
The West Bengal government has made it mandatory to obtain official certificates before slaughtering animals such as cows, bulls, bullocks and buffaloes, according to a new order issued ahead of Bakrid.
The order also bans public slaughter of animals and states that slaughter can only take place at authorised municipal slaughterhouses or places designated by the administration.
As per the notification, the certificate must be issued jointly by the chairperson of a municipal body or village sarpanch along with a government veterinary doctor. The certificate must confirm that the animal is over 14 years old, unfit for breeding or work, or permanently incapacitated due to age, injury, deformity or incurable disease.
Officials conducting inspections to enforce the order must not be obstructed, the government said. Violators may face up to six months imprisonment or a fine of up to ₹1,000 under the West Bengal Animal Slaughter Control Act, 1950.
The directive comes nearly two weeks before Eid al-Adha, also known as Bakrid, which commemorates the spirit of sacrifice in Islam.
