Coming down heavily on the Chennai Corporation,the Madras High Court today made it clear that existing slaughter house at Pulianthope here should be shifted to the new facility within a month.
"It is deplorable that after having set up the mechanised slaughter house, all efforts have been made by the Corporation to frustrate its becoming operational, after initially having been party to the grant of agreement and the petitions challenging the same being dismissed," the First Bench, comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice M. Sathyanarayanan, said.
The bench was disposing of a plea filed by Concessionaire M/s Hind Agro Industries Limited to direct the Corporation of Chennai to shift butchers from the existing slaughter house to the newly erected additional facility in the same premises and handover the premises.
The bench made it clear that it had already recorded the undertaking of the Corporation to carry out shifting within one month from today,as also the statement of senior counsel for the concessionaire that within three months thereafter, the mechanized slaughter house will be made operational.
Disposing of another PIL filed by K. Gafoor Bhasha of Seven wells area to consider the representation to close down the slaughter house at Perambur, the court slammed the Corporation of Chennai for its evasive and contrary pleadings.
"The corporation is seeking to wriggle out of the concessionaire agreement, even though the concessionaire is ready and willing to perform the obligations."
"To our mind it is not a question of disputes between the corporation and the concessionaire, but the unwillingness of the corporation, apparently for oblique reasons, to somehow ensure the frustration of the concessionaire agreement. The citizens are entitled to wholesome supply of meat, for which steps were taken and moneys were spent. Obviously, under different pressures the matter has been kept at bay."
The court observed that public purpose supersedes all other issues. "We made it clear that we are directing the implementation of the concessionaire agreement and will not permit it to be violated by either side whatever be the financial implication, which in turn may be settled in arbitration, if so required."
The bench disposed of another petition relating to disconnection of power. It directed the corporation to deposit the dues within 15 days from today and directed Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation to supply power.
