(M.P. Act
No. 4 of 1915) An Act to
make better provision for the regulation of the slaughter of animals in
the [1][Madhya
Pradesh]. Where it is
expedient to make better provisions for the regulation of the slaughter of
animals. It is
hereby enacted as follows :- (1)
This Act may be called the
Madhya Pradesh Slaughter of Animals Act, 1915. (2)
This section extends to the
whole of the Mahakoshal region; and the State Government may, by notification,
extend, on and from a date to be specified in the notification, the whole or
any part of the rest of this Act, to any such local area as it thinks fit. In this
Act- (a)
"animal" means any bull, bullock, cow, buffalo, goat, sheep or their
young; (b)
"slaughter-house" means any place where more than ten animals arc slaughtered
on any one day, and includes any premises for the manufacture of jerked meat or
the preparation of hides, bones or any other products of animals slaughtered at
the slaughter-house, but shall not include any place where animals are
slaughtered for religious purposes only and not for profit, nor any private
place where more than ten animals are slaughtered on any one day for a social
ceremony; (c)
"occupier" includes any person owning any animals slaughtered at the
slaughter-house or carrying on the business of manufacturing or preparing the
products of slaughtered animals for sale, or managing agent or other person
authorised to represent the occupier. (1)
The State Government may, by
notification, appoint by name or by office such persons as it thinks fit to be
Inspectors of Slaughter-houses within such local limits as it may assign to
such Inspectors. (2)
The District Magistrate
shall be an Inspector of all slaughter-houses in his district. (3)
Every Inspector shall be
deemed to be a public servant within the meaning of the Indian Penal Code (XLV
of 1860) and shall be officially subordinate to such authority as the State
Government may indicate in this behalf. Subject to
any rules in this behalf, an Inspector of Slaughter-houses may within the local
limits for which he is appointed- (a)
enter, with such assistants, if
any, as he thinks fit, any place which is, or which he has reason to believe to
be used as a slaughter-house; (b)
make such examination of the
premises and of the registers prescribed by rules made under this Act and take
on the spot or otherwise such evidence of any person as he may deem necessary
for carrying out the purpose of this Act; (c)
exercise such other powers as may
he necessary for carrying out the purposes of this Act: Provided
that no one shall be required under this section to answer any question or give
any evidence tending to criminate himself. Any person
who in breach of this Act or any rule made thereunder- (a)
slaughters any animal, or allows
any animal to be slaughtered, in an inhuman way; (b)
fails to provide any animal with
food or water or cruelly treats any animal; (c)
neglects to keep any
slaughter-house in a sanitary condition; (d)
neglects to take out a licence or
to keep any register prescribed by rules made under this Act; (e)
fails to destroy or otherwise
dispose of the flesh, hides or bones of any animal in such manner that they may
not be injurious to health; (f)
does not omit to do any other act
prohibited or prescribed by this Act or any rule made thereunder, shall be
punished with fine which may extend to two hundred rupees : Provided
that no prosecution under this section shall be instituted except by, or with
the sanction of, the Inspector. (1)
Where the occupier of a
slaughter-house is charged with an offence under this Act, he shall be
entitled, upon complaint made by him, to have any other person whom he charges
as the actual offender brought before the Court at the time appointed for
hearing the charge; and if, after the commission of the offence has been proved,
the occupier of the slaughter-house proves to the satisfaction of the Court- (a)
that he has used diligence to
enforce the execution of this Act; and (b)
that the said other person
committed the offence in question without his knowledge, consent or connivance,
that other person shall be convicted of the offence and shall be liable to the
like fine as if he were the occupier, and the occupier shall be discharged from
any liability under this Act. (2)
When it is made to appear to
the satisfaction of the Inspector at any time prior to the institution of the
proceedings- (a)
that the occupier of the
slaughter-house has used all due diligence to enforce the execution of this
Act; and (b)
by what person the offence has
been committed; and (c)
that it has been committed
without the knowledge, consent or connivance of the occupier and in
contravention of his orders, the Inspector shall proceed against the person
whom he believes to be the actual offender without first proceeding against the
occupier of the slaughter-house, and such person shall be liable to the like
fine as if he were the occupier. Any person
who wilfully obstructs an Inspector in the exercise of any power under Section
4 or fails to produce on demand by an Inspector any licence or register
prescribed by rules made under this Act shall be punishable with fine which may
extend to hundred rupees. The State
Government may, by notification, transfer all or any of the functions of the
State Government under this Act to any Municipal Committee within the local
area subject to the jurisdiction of such Municipal Committee : Provided
that all rules framed by a Municipal Committee under Section 10 of this Act
shall be made in the manner in which under the law for the time being in force,
the Municipal Committee makes bye-laws for the regulation of other matters
within the limits of the municipality, and shall, when sanctioned by the State
Government and published in the Official
Gazette, have the force of law. The State
Government may, by notification, withdraw from any Municipal Committee its
functions or powers under the Central Provinces Municipal Act, 1903 (XVI of
1903), in respect of any slaughter-house situated within or without the
municipal area, and thereupon the control, management and inspection of such
slaughter-house shall be regulated by provisions of this Act. (1)
The State Government may
make rules consistent with this Act to provide for- (a)
the slaughter of animals in a
humane manner and the proper treatment of animals before slaughter; (b)
the class and maximum daily
number of animals to be slaughtered; (c)
the maintenance of
slaughter-house in a sanitary condition; (d)
the licensing of slaughter-houses
and occupiers and the levy of fees for licences, whether by a charge for each
animal slaughtered or by a fee for the licence; (e)
the maintenance of registers of
persons employed in, and animals slaughtered at, slaughter-houses; (f)
the destruction of the flesh,
hides or bones of any animal suffering from anthrax, tuberculosis or any
disease which may be declared likely to be injurious to health; (g)
generally, the carrying out the
purposes of this Act : Provided
that rules made under clause (a) for the slaughter of animals in a humane
manner shall not conflict with the recognized religious usages of the person
employed in their slaughter. (2)
The power conferred by
sub-section (1) to make rules is subject to the condition of the rules being
made after previous publication. (3)
Such rules shall be
published in the Official Gazette and
shall thereupon have the force of law.Madhya Pradesh Slaughter of Animals Act, 1915