Panaji:
Goa government will modernise its three decade-old slaughterhouse, which had run into controversy following the High Court orders.
State-run Goa Meat Complex Limited (GMCL) management has drawn plans for modernising its facilities at Usgao village, 40 kilometres away from here, at a cost of Rs 13 crore.
The modernisation work would be equally funded by Goa government and Union Food Processing ministry, the officials said on Wednesday.
The GMCL's activities are currently on hold after animal lovers approached the Goa Bench of Bombay High Court pointing out alleged irregularities in the process of slaughtering the animals. However, the GMCL management has refuted the charges before the court.
While court case is still pending, GMCL chairman Lyndon Monteiro said that the modernisation plans are not kept on hold.
Goa government has funded Rs 6.8 crore, while the Centre has provided Rs 6.2 crore for the plant, which is a three decade old entity run by the state providing beef to the local consumers, he stated.
"Tenders for this modernisation work are going to be floated soon and all those works are likely to be completed in next one year," Monteiro said.
On a priority basis, the GMCL has begun the process of constructing a new effluent treatment plant, after the environmental consent given to the old one has expired earning notice from the State Pollution Control Board.
Monteiro said that a new plant would augment the effluent treatment capacity from 65 cubic metres to 265 cubic metres, which is required to cater for the enhanced capacity of slaughtering after the modernisation.
"The plant costing Rs 1.4 crore will take care of the effluents of all the three shifts for the next 20 years," he said.
