Restaurants, shops asked to mention halal, jhatka

New Delhi: The BJP-led South Delhi Municipal Corporation has cleared a proposal that will now make it mandatory for restaurants and shops in south Delhi to display whether the meat being sold or served is cut using the "halal" or "jhatka" method, officials said on Thursday.

The proposal was moved by the Standing Committee of the SDMC on December 24. A senior official of the SDMC said the House cleared it in its special meeting on Wednesday. South Delhi has a number of eateries, restaurants and streetside shops selling or serving non-vegetarian food items, prominent places being markers at Defence Colony, Amar Colony, Sarojini Nagar, South Extension, and INA. Officials said restaurants and meat shops will have to "display clearly and visibly" whether they are serving "halal" or "jhatka".

The resolution passed by the SDMC panel had read, "There are thousands of restaurants in 104 wards of four zones falling under South Delhi Municipal Corporation. Out of these meat is served in about 90 per cent of restaurants but it is not mentioned whether the meat being served by the restaurants is halal or jhatka". Similarly, the meat shops also do not make the distinction, it had said.

The resolution further said, "According to Hinduism and Sikhism, eating halal meat is forbidden and against religion... Therefore, the committee resolves that this direction be given to restaurants and meat shops that it should be written mandatorily about the meat being sold and served by them…that halal or jhatka meat is available here". Standing Committee Chairman Rajdutt Gahlot had earlier said, "At present, while getting a licence made, owners take a licence for selling on type of meat, and then start selling the other one too".