The slaughterhouse in Mango that has been lying closed for two years. Picture by Srinivas

Jamshedpur, July 10: In a bid to facilitate sale of red meat under hygienic conditions, the district administration will construct a modern slaughterhouse in the suburban area of the city.

The proposed abattoir, which would be completely automated, would come up either at Turiabeda under Mango muffassil police station area or near Ghaghidih.

The urban development department has already allocated funds for construction of a couple of slaughterhouses in Ranchi and in Jamshedpur, and has engaged a Delhi-based consultant for preparing detail project reports (DPR).

Interestingly, the abattoirs are being set up at a time when the government has imposed a ban on cow slaughter in the state.

Asked as to how can modern abattoirs be set up in the face of a ban on cow slaughter, urban development deputy secretary Naresh Kumar said that no ban has been imposed on slaughter of buffaloes, camels and goats.

?Our department has been ordered by the Jharkhand high court to construct two modern slaughterhouses, one in Ranchi and another in Jamshedpur,? he said.

In Jamshedpur, deputy commissioner Nitin Madan Kulkarni has been assigned the task of ensuring early completion of the project.

Talking to The Telegraph Kulkarni said: ?The site for the same has been selected and work would start soon.?

But when asked whether cows would be slaughtered in the abattoir, the DC quipped: ?How can it be when there is a ban on cow slaughter??

However, a district Congress committee functionary, Nausad Khan said that slaughtering of cows is continuing unabated in Azadnagar.

?In the residential area of Azadnagar (in Mango) itself there are more than 50 unauthorised abattoirs, where only cows are slaughtered. Despite requesting several times to the Mango police to put a break on it, no action has been taken so far.?

Gulshan Ali, a senior Rashtria Janata Dal leader who resides in the same locality, echoed Khan.

After making several attempts to stop cow slaughter in residential areas on government level, a group of leaders led by social activist Razi Naushad had filed a public interest litigation before the Jharkhand high court.

In response to the PIL, the high court had ordered the construction of a modern slaughterhouse in the suburban area of the steel city.