NEW DELHI: The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on Thursday clarified that there is no legal provision under the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 1957 to shut meat shops along Kanwar Yatra routes, contradicting earlier remarks by Delhi Culture Minister Kapil Mishra.
Mishra had stated that meat shops would be closed along the pilgrimage routes following a joint decision by the Delhi government and the MCD. However, the civic body, in a written reply in the MCD House, said no such directive exists in the Act. It noted that while many meat shop owners voluntarily close during the annual Shravan Yatra, closures cannot be legally enforced.
Mayor Raja Iqbal Singh reiterated this, saying, “We can only request licensed shops to remain shut out of mutual respect,” while warning that unauthorised or norm-violating shops would face action.
To support pilgrims, MCD has set up 25 Kanwar camps, deploying 22 doctors, 10 on-call medical staff, 62 support workers, and 12 mobile dental vans. Extra sanitation teams and equipment have also been stationed.
Meanwhile, meat vendors criticised the move. “Respecting religion is one thing, but our livelihood is at stake,” said a local shopkeeper.