The relocation of the capital's only authorised slaughter house to another suitable place will get further delayed as a two-judge bench of the Supreme Court yesterday referred the questions involved in the case to a three-judge bench.
This was because two different division benches of the court had passed apparently conflicting orders. While one two-judge bench had passed a `status quo' order, another bench headed by Justice Kuldip Singh (now retired) had passed orders trying to shift the abattoir to the national capital region.
Which order should prevail or what other order should be passed should be decided by a three-judge bench, the division bench consisting of Justices S P Bharucha and K Venkataswami stated in the order.
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The case was started in the Delhi High Court by environmentalist Maneka Gandhi.
The court reduced the authorised slaughter of goats to 2,000 a day and did not deal with buffalo and other animals. The Buffalo Traders' Welfare Association moved an appeal against this to the Supreme Court. One bench had ordered status quo at that stage.
The Supreme Court ordered the closure of the slaughter house along with 167 other polluting units. The earlier order was not brought to the attention of the bench that passed the order. It tried, however, to get sites for a hightech slaughter house outside Delhi.
The reference to a three-judge bench adds a new twist to the whole batch of cases. After more than a year, the issue has to be argued again and decided by the Court.
The New Delhi municipal committee and the central pollution control board has been issued notices. The court has recommended expeditious hearing of the case.