Kolkata: The West Bengal government has issued a fresh public notice reinforcing stricter compliance measures under the West Bengal Animal Slaughter Control Act, 1950, tightening certification requirements, inspection powers and penalties linked to animal slaughter across the state.

The Home and Hill Affairs Department, through a notification issued from Nabanna on May 13, laid out detailed operational guidelines following court directions passed by the Calcutta High Court in 2018 and 2022.

The notice reiterates that no slaughter of bulls, bullocks, cows, calves or male and female buffalos can take place without an officially issued fitness certificate.

According to the notification, “No person shall slaughter any animal thereby meaning (Bulls, Bullocks, Cows, Calves, Male and Female Buffalos, Buffalo Calves and Castrated Buffalos) unless he has obtained in respect thereof a certificate that the animal is fit for slaughter.”

The government has specified that such certification can only be jointly issued by the Chairman of a Municipality or the Sabhapati of a Panchayat Samiti along with a Government Veterinary Surgeon. The certificate may be granted only if both authorities record in writing that the animal is either over 14 years of age for work or breeding purposes, or has become permanently incapacitated due to age, injury, deformity or incurable disease.

The notice also establishes an appeal mechanism. In cases where certification is denied, individuals may approach the state government within 15 days of communication of refusal.

In a significant enforcement provision, the government has mandated that even certified animals can only be slaughtered at designated municipal or locally authorised slaughterhouses. The notice clearly states that slaughter in open public spaces will remain prohibited.

It further empowers authorised officials and veterinary authorities to inspect premises for enforcement of the law, warning against any obstruction to inspections.

According to the public notice, “Nobody shall resist inspection of any premises by a person authorized by the Chairman of a Municipality or the Sabhapati of a Panchayat Samiti, as the case may be, or the Government Veterinary Surgeon for implementing the provisions of the West Bengal Animal Slaughter Control Act, 1950.”

Violations of the provisions may invite imprisonment of up to six months, a fine up to Rs 1,000, or both. The government has also clarified that offences under the 1950 Act will be treated as cognizable offences.

The latest move indicates a push by the state administration towards tighter procedural oversight and regulated slaughter operations, while simultaneously aligning enforcement mechanisms with judicial directions already issued by the Calcutta High Court.

BI Bureau