Delhi: Restaurants must display jhatka and halal distinction, says SDMC

The South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) has now made it mandatory for restaurants and meat shops to display whether the meat they are selling is halal or jhatka.

The south civic body passed a proposal regarding this on Wednesday in its House meeting. Narendra Chawla, leader of the House in SDMC, said that it was the right of the consumer to know what type of food he or she is consuming so this proposal is regarding “ensuring the very right” of the consumer.

“Many people do not eat jhatka meat while others don’t eat halal but in restaurants, you cannot tell the meat type being served. You may find halal or jhatka meat written on the meat shops but such a practice is rare in restaurants. So it is a healthy exercise to mention whether halal or jhatka meat is being served at restaurants,” Chawla said.

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The proposal, which was passed in the House, stated, “Thousands of restaurants are in operation in 104 wards of four zone falling under South Delhi Municipal Corporation. Out of these, meat is being served in about 90% of restaurants but it is not displayed by them whether the meat being served by the restaurants is halal or jhatka... Eating halal meat is forbidden and against religion for Hindus and Sikhs. Therefore, this meeting resolves that this direction be given to restaurants and meat shops that they write mandatorily about the meat being sold by them.”

However, SDMC Leader of Opposition and Aam Aadmi Party councillor Prem Chauhan said, “It is an unnecessary order. These are tactics to divert attention from real issues related to corruption and non-payment of salaries in the civic body.”

A similar proposal is already in place in shops and restaurants under East Delhi Municipal Corporation areas. However, there is no such practice in the North Delhi Municipal Corporation.