Beef steaks and beef chilli fry or for that matter keema and kababs had been a famous delicacy in some of the prominent hotels of Mumbai. Whether it is street-side hotels or star hotels, these are widely relished.
However, with the cow slaughter ban coming into effect, the footfalls in some hotels may be affected. Earlier this week, President Pranab Mukherjee gave ascent to the Maharashtra Animal Preservation (Amendment) Act, 1995, which aims to ban cow slaughter.
The bill was pending since the last 10 years, but the Devendra Fadnavis-led BJP-Shiv Sena government started correspondence with the Centre to ensure that it becomes a law.
The beef traders and hoteliers – where beef is available – are agitated with the decision. “It is the duty of every government in the world to provide employment to its citizens. But this government has taken away our source of livelihood. Business that has been developed through generations has been destroyed in an instant only because of vote bank politics,” according Beef Traders’ Association President Abdul Qureshi.
“Not only it would affect us, it would also affect the hotels,” he said. Though the slaughter of cows was previously prohibited in the state under the Maharashtra Animal ( Preservation) Act of 1976, the passage of the new Act will ban the slaughter of bulls as well as bullocks, which was previously allowed based on a fit-for-slaughter certificate.
The Maharashtra Animal Preservation (Amendment) Bill, 1995 received assent of President Pranab Mukherjee on March 2. Maharashtra’s contribution to the country’s buffalo meat market is about 25 per cent, with more than 1,000 animals being slaughtered daily in Pune district. Each animal provides an average 200 kgs of meat.
The offence will be non-bailable and will attract a punishment of up to five years in prison, against the six months till now. The fine, too, has been hiked to Rs 10,000 from the current Rs 1,000. The neighbouring state of Goa has already started facing the problems because of the ban.
“Our business would be affected. Big hotels may start some other delicacy. Our delicacy was kabab and the ban is going to affect us,” said a street-side stall owner from Mumbai’s Bhendi Bazaar locality.