Palakkad: The plan is ready, funds are available, and the land is there. Yet, the Palakkad Municipality’s modern slaughterhouse project has been stalled for eight years. The land title for the slaughterhouse site in Puthuppally Theruvu is reportedly jeopardizing the modernization efforts.

Approximately 2,000 animals, including goats and cattle, are slaughtered here monthly for meat. The current slaughtering methods and waste disposal systems are obsolete. While veterinary doctors inspect the animals brought for slaughter to ensure they are disease-free, waste management at the slaughterhouse still faces a severe crisis.

The outdated disposal system is ineffective, and public anger against this is strong. There are also strong allegations that waste from the slaughterhouse flows downhill, polluting nearby streams and ultimately reaching the Yakkara River. Concerns have also been raised that this is causing health problems for local residents.

Why modernization is needed

The Puthuppally Theruvu slaughterhouse provides the meat for Palakkad Municipality and several nearby panchayats. Its current facilities are outdated. The Municipality had prepared a plan to replace these with a modern slaughterhouse, a sophisticated processing system, and a treatment plant. A KIIFB project worth ₹11.29 crore was approved for this purpose. However, as it is a KIIFB project, no other funds can be allocated for it.

What the obstacles are

While the slaughterhouse site is under the Municipality's de facto possession, official records classify it as revenue "puramboke" land (government-owned land). The Municipality constructed and maintains the slaughterhouse building here, an arrangement that has persisted for decades. For the KIIFB project to proceed, the Municipality needs to gain ownership of the land or submit a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for its use. The Municipality has been actively pursuing this since 2018. In 2024, the then Collector issued an NOC to the Municipality, allowing the use of 50 cents of land for the slaughterhouse while retaining its ownership with the Revenue Department.

However, 50 cents is insufficient for the modernization; an additional 91 cents is required. When the Municipality raised this concern, the Revenue Department’s response was to acquire the land at market value. When the Municipality stated its inability to afford this, the Revenue Department proposed leasing the land for one crore rupees per year.

After the Municipality deemed the amount excessive, the lease rent was later reduced to ₹5.68 lakh. However, as procedures progressed, the Municipality was informed that the department itself had increased the rent to ₹14 lakh, citing the previous reduction as too low. Furthermore, the Revenue Department has also demanded payment for decades of past occupancy of the land. This is the current crisis. The current operational cost of the slaughterhouse is ₹25 lakh per year, while the Municipality's annual income from it is only ₹10 lakh.

What is the Solution?

The solution lies in the Revenue Department granting the NOC at a reasonable lease rate, recognizing it as a public utility. To this end, Municipal Chairperson P. Smithish has submitted a petition to Revenue Minister A.P. Anilkumar. MLA Ramesh Pisharody also met the Minister with the same request.

What are the Benefits?

With KIIFB funds, the slaughterhouse can be modernized with state-of-the-art facilities. It could handle many times the current slaughtering capacity. If needed, the entire district's meat demand could be met from this facility. A sales outlet could also be established. Waste could be scientifically processed through dedicated plants, and treatment plants would allow used water to be purified and recycled. The surroundings would become waste-free. Most importantly, consumers would receive hygienic and quality meat.

Concerns

Concerns have now emerged regarding the implementation of KIIFB projects in general. Information suggests that the funds sanctioned years ago have not yet been lost. The Municipality maintains that the slaughterhouse modernization project is not among the KIIFB projects that have been cancelled. However, if the NOC continues to be delayed, the project might be lost. Constructing a slaughterhouse at an entirely new location could face numerous hurdles, including local opposition.