May 30: A special Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) squad today concluded a six-day random crackdown on city meat-sellers, singling out those not adhering to safety and hygiene norms. The special team comprised four veterinary doctors and five supervisors.

Official sources said the crackdown was kept under wraps to catch the erring meat-sellers unaware. “The drive was carried out in 90 meat shops, most of which are at Boro Bazar in Maligaon, Ganeshguri main market, Paltan Bazar, Kahilipara and Khanapara,” a GMC official said.

He said more than 30 shops were found violating the safety and hygiene norms. The erring meat-sellers were mostly found in Maligaon Boro Bazar, Ganesh-guri market, Khanapara and Beltola. Adulteration is a common practice in the shops, which are controlled by a particular section of people who have been in the business traditionally.

“The special team has started preparing the detailed report about the drive. Punitive actions like closing the shops of erring meat-sellers will be recommended to the commissioner and mayor of the corporation,” he said.

A seven-day notice will be issued to the erring meat-sellers to improve condition of their shops. In case of failure, their shops will be shut down initially for six months.

According to GMC records, there are 300-odd meat shops in the city. During the drive, the special team had detected that several meat-sellers carried out their business without having glass and wire meshes in front of their shops. Unhygienic sale of meat at the temporary sheds in Kachari Basti, Kahilipara, Noonmati, Hatigaon, Kumarpara, Maligaon and Athgaon localities is rampant because of lack of awareness on the part of many buyers.

Pranab Das, who was a member of the special team, said it was found that majority of the meat-sellers did not adhere to norms like constructing glass and wire meshes in front of their shops because of reluctance and poor hygienic sense.

He said constraints of manpower and vehicles did not allow the team to conduct check on every butcher shop. “We will write to the commissioner and mayor to start a slaughter house. We need modern meat-processing plants.”

The fate of three modern meat-processing plants at Khanapara is hanging in balance with the Assam Livestock and Poultry Corporation already incurring a total expenditure of Rs 6.49 crore on the projects.