Police deployed at slaughter house to retain possession

ISLAMABAD: Capital Development Authority (CDA) with the help of Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) has termed the auction of Sihala slaughterhouse ‘illegal’ and deployed security men to stop the new contractor from taking possession.

The RDA auctioned the slaughterhouse on Monday for Rs18.35 million but the CDA claim that the location had been under its jurisdiction since 1981 and the RDA had no authority.

The CDA Chairman Imtiaz Inayat Elahi met with ICT officials, senior officials of the Cantonment Board and Meat Sellers Association at CDA Headquarters. They decided that ICT police would be deployed at the slaughterhouse to ensure that it is not used for any other activity.

Sihala slaughterhouse had been built by four parties; RDA, CDA, ICT and Rawalpindi Cantonment in 1964. When the federal capital was declared an independent district in 1981 the land where the slaughterhouse stands became the jurisdiction of Islamabad.

Spokesperson CDA Ramzan Sajid said that the city managers were considering taking the issue to court.

He further said when the four parties were involved in the building process, why did the RDA announce the auction without taking the others into confidence. “It is totally illegal, we will never allow the RDA to auction the slaughterhouse,” he added.

The CDA Chairman said that he was willing to negotiate the matter with RDA but they had not been picking up his call.

“The Slaughter House has remained a bone of contention between the local administrations of Rawalpindi and Islamabad for many years,” said a senior official of RDA. “It is feared that the row between RDA and CDA on the issue of Slaughter House may cause shortage of meat in the twin cities,” he added.

To a question the official further said that since the RDA had been using it for decades, they had the sole right to run or sell it.

However, he also lamented over the deplorable condition of the abattoir which has no proper facilities and remains in a poor shape. He said the slaughterhouse in Rawalpindi was contributing to the sale of unhygienic and medically unchecked meat to citizens.

Earlier, CDA Chairman wrote a letter to the commissioner Rawalpindi asking that he not auction the said Slaughter House because the RDA did not have the right to do so.

In the meeting the CDA Chairman discussed the issue with the representatives of ICT, Cantonment Board and Jamiatul Quresh Meat Sellers Association to find out ways avoiding any clash with RDA. The office of District Coordinator Officer, when contacted remained silent on the issue.

However a senior official of RDA condemned the CDA’s claim as custodian of the slaughterhouse saying that the RDA never intended to cheat ICT, CDA or Cantonment Board pertaining to auction.

We did not hold the auction in a secret or suspicious manner, it is our right and we openly exercised it,” he concluded.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 28^th, 2010.