The Meghalaya High Court has asked the State government to specify the necessary steps taken by them to prevent hideous display of carcasses on roads at meat shops.

The division bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice W. Diengdoh sought an affidavit from the state in the said matter.

The authoroties submit before the High Court that the state has put in place appropriate district animal market committees in accordance with the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Regulation of Livestock Markets) Rules, 2017.

The High Court has repeatedly urged the State government to implement effective measures to prevent the public display of such carcasses. The court has recommended that these remains be securely enclosed within containers to shield them from the dust and dirt on the roads.

"For a long time, in several matters, this Court has been referring to the aesthetically hideous display of carcasses on either side of main roads, be it for vending chicken or mutton or pork or beef. Apart from the visual pollution, which may not be appealing to even the most carnivorous of non-vegetarians, the dust and grime that the carcasses are exposed to make them unhygienic for human consumption," the Court remarked.

The Court observed that rather than "tying up dozens of live chickens by their legs and having them hanging upside down from cycle handles or pushing far too many animals into a cramped vehicle with not enough legroom and ferrying them over long distances", there could be far more ethical ways to treat them.

Further, the court said that, given the existence of district animal market committees for over a year, significant steps should have been taken regarding the issues mentioned earlier. 

Consequently, the court has requested a report on these matters from a responsible official in the secretariat when the case comes up for the next hearing in three weeks.