Kupwara, July 1: People across Kashmir have shown strong resentment against overcharging by butchers for preparing sacrificial animals on Eid. They have appealed to the administration to come up with a proper rate list before Eid so that a check and balance could be maintained.
This newspaper has learnt that butchers demanded upto Rs 4000 for slaughtering and preparing sacrificial animals thus putting extra burden on people.
Overcharging by butchers left the people anguished. They said that for small animals they were forced to pay upto Rs 1500 and for big animals the rate went beyond Rs 3000 which took a heavy toll on them given the bad economic conditions prevailing for the last two years.
“Even though I had done prior booking, still the butcher did not come to prepare my sacrificial animal. He kept me waiting on the Ist day of Eid and then arrived on the second day. Initially, he was demanding Rs 2000 but I handed over him Rs 1500,” Khursheed Anwar, a local from Rainawari Srinager told Greater Kashmir.
In north Kashmir’s Kupwara district, people also complained about overcharging by butchers for preparing sacrificial animals. They said that authorities have failed to maintain proper checks and balances putting them into hardships.
“Authorities should have come up with a proper rate list so that people may not have faced hardships at the hands of butchers. My friend was intending to do sacrifice of an animal, but he abandoned the idea after coming across the rate set by butchers,” Tahir Ahmad, a local from Handwara told this correspondent.
Several people preferred joint sacrifices planned and organised by different religious institutions outside Kashmir. “I had to pay only Rs 1700 for one share besides no tension of booking a butcher,” said Mushtaq Ahmad from Kupwara.
People have appealed to authorities that every year before Eid-Ul-Azha authorities should come up with a proper rate list for preparing sacrificial animals so that they can heave a sigh of relief.