THE Mayor and Councillors of the City of Georgetown has reminded all persons who would be slaughtering bovine animals for the EID-UL-ADHA holiday that the carcasses must be examined and certified by the officers of the Municipal Abattoir. And the M&CC has put systems in place for officers to ensure it follows its protocol for safety.
Where masjids would be utilised for the slaughtering of animals on EID-UL-ADHA, which will be celebrated on Friday, the M&CC said it is imperative that a Meat and Food inspector be on site to inspect and certify the integrity of the meat.
In a release, the M&CC stated that since the meat would be distributed to the public, it is important that trained Meat and Food Inspectors determine its wholesomeness. The Mayor and Councillors of the City of Georgetown has the responsibility of ensuring the meat and food entering the public domain for consumption is free from tuberculosis, and other infectious diseases.
Arrangements to have food and meat inspectors on site to inspect and certify the meat can be made by calling the Municipal abattoir on telephone numbers 227-2131 or 226-3700.
Meanwhile, the Municipal Abattoir remains closed following an accident involving a Crane belonging to John Fernandes Ltd. During a City Hall Statutory meeting on July 27 2020, the Mayor of Georgetown, Ubraj Narine, had announced that he will be calling for a sit-down with the heads of John Fernandes to discuss a way forward as it relates to the repair of the facility.
The meeting between Mayor Narine and the John Fernandes administration comes four months after a crane belonging to John Fernandes Company Limited fell onto the roof of the abattoir, leaving the roof, walls and windows of the kitchen area severely damaged. The roof of the slaughtering chambers was also damaged.
The facility, located at Water Street, South Cummingsburg, remains closed until further notice and, according to the mayor, the City is losing a lot of revenue since the abattoir continues to be out of operation, since its closure on February 28. Town Clerk (ag) Sherry Jerrick disclosed that the John Fernandes management had sent correspondence making a request for a mutual evaluation to gather the estimated cost of damage before they move forward. Mayor Narine had previously said he doesn’t wish to accept money from the company to finance the repairs, but prefers for them to complete everything. “I don’t want a temporary fix, because temporary turns into long term,” he said. The mayor stated that the issue has been long awaiting a resolution and he is optimistic that this sit-down meeting with the John Fernandes Administration could bring about a suitable way forward.
