Himalayan News Service

Gaighat, March 22 :

Taste buds of locals in the district may stop to tingle with the halt of mutton sale in the district by slaughterhouses due to price hike.

Slaughterhouses had been selling mutton for Rs 160 per kg. They had requested the Udaypur Chamber of Commerce and Industry (UCCI) to raise the price of mutton by Rs 30 per kg. The request was sanctioned and they had been selling meat for Rs 190 per kg for the past week.

However, some of the consumers filed case against slaughterhouses in the District Administration Office, stating that the decision made by the UCCI was illegal. The DAO then ordered slaughterhouses to sell mutton at the previous price. Following this directive, slaughterhouses have stopped the sale of mutton.

Gopal Pokhrel, a local consumer, blamed UCCI of playing games with slaughterhouses and consumers. He said that citizens are being tortured with price hike in everything and that the

decision would only facilitate some businessmen. He said, "The DAO has done a good job. It should take stern action against these businessmen to give relief to locals," he added.

Binod Shrestha, treasurer of the UCCI, said that he does not have any information on the subject.

He said that the UCCI chairman might have given his personal consent for the price hike.

He added, "If the decision was personal, it was a wrong decision and action would be taken against him."Meanwhile, many consumer associations have raised their voices against the price hike in mutton.