Srinagar: While the deadlock between the government and mutton dealers over retail rates continues, the government has been acting tough against butchers and has seized nearly 90 shops, along with registering more than 200 FIRs and extracting fine of 4 lakh rupees across Kashmir valley in the past three months.
The stalemate over mutton rates began in December last year after the J&K government proposed a rate of Rs 480 per kilo of mutton. Dealers demanded a higher rate and shut down their businesses to give out the message that they won’t sell at the officially fixed rate.
Meanwhile, a fact-finding team of 15 members comprising traders, mutton dealers and civil society members visited “mandis” in other states to check out the mutton rates. The report of the team did not lead to any progress on the issue. To end the impasse, after several rounds of talks, the government in the last week of February revised the mutton rates from Rs 480 to 515 per kilo, but that, too, failed to convince the dealers.
While the deadlock shows no signs of ending soon, mutton hasn’t vanished completely in the markets of Kashmir as a number of mutton dealers across the valley have been seen selling mutton at exorbitant rates against the government orders, mostly during the odd time of dawn and dusk, to evade the radar of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA) officials who regulate the rates in markets.
The FCS&CA department has launched a massive crackdown against such violators with the action amplified in the past many days on the directions of Divisional Commissioner Kashmir. Earlier, the divisional commissioner had stressed upon officials of FCSCA and directed them to take stricter action against mutton dealers who were found selling meat at exorbitant prices.
As a result, the concerned department had so far seized nearly 90 mutton shops across Kashmir valley found to be involved in malpractice of overpricing of mutton more than the fixed rates of the government. Besides this, the department has also registered cases against 215 erring traders, besides extracting fine of rupees 4 lakh in the past three months.
Pandurang K Pole, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, told Kashmir Reader that the government will take strict action against erring traders, and anyone found involved in malpractice will have their shops seized and cases registered against them.
“The drive against the erring mutton dealers will continue, and strict action will be taken against them. So far, 88 mutton shops have been seized across the valley. Over 215 FIRs stand registered along with the fine of the large amount of 4 lakh rupees from violators,” he said.
The reluctance of mutton dealers to accept the official rates, he added, was impacting the locals and the administration was concerned to settle out the differences. “There has been no end to the deadlock, and this is impacting the local populace. We’re much concerned about it and are trying hard to get the people out of this deadlock soon,” he said.

KALEEM GEELANI