Lucknow: Meat suppliers launch indefinite strike to oppose govt crackdown

Lucknow: The agitated dealers and suppliers of goats and chicken broilers here have declared to go on an indefinite strike from Sunday onwards, to mark their protest against newly formed Uttar Pradesh government's crackdown on illegal slaughterhouses and meat shops, which has led to a shortage of meat in the state capital.

The association of the meat dealers and suppliers have claimed that their counterparts in different parts of the state are most likely to join the protest by Sunday evening. The supply of buffalo meat has already been halted since Tuesday.

The decision to go on an indefinite strike was taken at a meeting joined by the representatives of Lucknow Murga Mandi Samiti (LMMS) and Lucknow Murga Bakra Vyapar Kalyan Samiti (LMBVKS).

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It may be mentioned that LMMS represents more than 50 wholesalers who provide broiler chicken to over 5,000 retailers, apart from restaurants, hotels and small foot joints, while LMBVKS represents about 600 dealers who supply goats and broiler chicken to retailers, shops, restaurants and hotels across the city.

LMMS president Sanjay Saxena blamed Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) for the shops selling meat without license.

"We were forced to work without licence because LMC is neither issuing fresh licence, not renewing old licences for the past three years. Our legal business turned illegal because of the apathy of the authorities and now the crackdown has hit our livelihood," Saxena said.