Two days after the Bharatiya Janata Party government in Uttar Pradesh banned illegal slaughter houses and announced a crackdown on meat shops operating without licences, chicken retailers in Lucknow went on strike on Friday.

The chief secretary had given orders on Wednesday to shut down illegal abattoirs. The Lucknow Municipal Corporation subsequently shut down nine meat shops. On Thursday, the municipal authorities also cleared out vendors selling chicken illegally on pavements and from roadside stalls.

According to the records of the Lucknow Municipal Corporation, there are 602 registered chicken sellers in the city. But the actual number of such establishments might be higher. Since the business does not involve much investment, chicken outlets have mushroomed.

“We are not against the clampdown on chicken retailers,” said Saeed Basheer, president of the Chicken Sellers’ Association. “We only want some time so that our members can get their papers in order. Just give us some time and not a sudden decision.”

Livelihoods hurt

Basheer said the crackdown was hurting the livelihoods of hundreds of small retailers and their families. “Our papers are in order but we are concerned about the small retailers,” Saeed said. However, these roadside kiosks may find it difficult to comply with rules that call for proper drainage, refrigeration, lighting and waste disposal facilities.

Basheer added that the action had come as a surprise as these guidelines had not previously been enforced. “No one had bothered,” he said.

Officials defended the crackdown. They said the corporation conducts such drives whenever it receives complaints.

The chicken sellers strike will continue on Saturday after which a decision on whether it is to be extended will be taken, the association said.

Consumers complain

The crackdown has led to a shortage of meat across the state. The residents of Lucknow said they were missing their favourite meat dishes.

“There is crisis of chicken as all the shops are closed,” said Shamim Arzoo, a resident of Indira Nagar in the state capital. “It is not available, so obviously we are missing it, but it is better if they [shops] are opened with proper guidelines.”

Arzoo, who buys poultry from the Munshi Pulia area, said there were no chicken vendors there anymore.

But despite the strike by chicken retailers, poultry supply to hotels and restaurants remained unaffected on Friday. Many eateries also highlighted their chicken dishes. Naushijaan, a non-vegetarian restaurant chain, said it had nothing to do with “badey ka meat” (buffalo meat) but was offering chicken and mutton.

On Wednesday, Lucknow’s iconic century-old Tunday Kababi downed its shutters, only to reopen on Thursday with its famous “badey ka kabab” (buffalo kebab) missing from its menu.

Prices rising

While chicken retailers are worried, poultry farm owners are celebrating the government’s decision and even eyeing a profit.

“When the illegal meat sellers are closed, only we will be there to bridge the gap,” said Ayaz Kidwai, who owns a poultry farm in Lucknow’s Juggaur village. “Obviously, it will increase our sales and also the price.”

He said chicken prices have already gone up by Rs 30 per kilogram in the days following Adityanath’s announcement, and is now selling at Rs 190-Rs 200 a kilogram. “We have our supply orders and are fulfilling them,” he said.