Residents demand action against meat shops

Residents in Suntikoppa Gram Panchayat limits have alleged that the meat stalls operating on the National Highway in Suntikoppa town, have not been maintaining hygiene.

The residents have demanded action against the shopkeepers.

The people alleged that the poultry meat and mutton is sold in the open, on the roadside.

The unhygienic condition in the place has been leaving an adverse impact on the health of the people in the vicinity, they said.

"After conducting an auctioning process, Suntikoppa Gram Panchayat has given license for the shopkeepers to open 10 poultry and four mutton shops. Only two poultry shops are inside the market complex and the remaining eight are on the roadside. Despite directions issued by the Gram Panchayat development officer, the shopkeepers have thrown caution to the wind and have been selling meat in the open. The meat is being infected by flies and other insects. Also, the dust from the road is resting on the meat," residents Mani, Vinod, Akbar, Thomas and others said and urged the Gram Panchayat administration to initiate action against the shopkeepers.

The villagers also said that the waste from the meat shops in the market is being released into the open drain near the road. This has resulted in an unbearable stench in the vicinity.

Suntikoppa PDO Venugopal said that the shopkeepers will be asked to keep the meat inside glass enclosures.