Mutton becomes bone of contention in Kashmir

Submitted by admin4 on 20 April 2011 - 12:34pm

Indian Muslim
By F. Ahmed, IANS,
Srinagar : Imagine a traditional 'wazwan' feast without mutton! But many Kashmir
is are indeed going without their favourite non-vegetarian dishes for the past m
onth as they return empty-handed from mutton shops.
Wholesale and retail traders are refusing to sell it in Srinagar and other parts
of the valley citing value added tax (VAT) on mutton imported from outside. But
in reality there is no such VAT on the product anywhere in Jammu and Kashmir.
"We cannot afford to sell mutton at the existing rates because the state governm
ent has started charging us VAT from April 1 this year," said Abdul Rashid, a mu
tton seller in north Kashmir's Ganderbal district.
For a month now, mutton - which is mostly imported into the valley from other st
ates - has vanished from the markets.
In fact even many state government officials don't seem to know that there is no
VAT on mutton.
During various meetings with mutton dealers, they have been heard saying that di
scussions are on with dealers "to break the impasse that has arisen because of t
he imposition of VAT on the sale of mutton".
Khwaja Bashir Ahmad, who retired as the state's commissioner of the commercial t
axes department last month, is one of those who know better.
"No VAT is charged at all anywhere on the sale of mutton in the state. It was no
t charged in the past and is not being charged now," he said.
Ahmad wonders why the authorities are not clearing the air and straightening out
the matter. He says what has actually increased is the toll on mutton imported
into the valley.
"No VAT is charged on mutton sale. A toll tax of Rs.35 per animal was being char
ged on the import of sheep/goats into the state till March 31 and now Rs.2.5 is
being charged per kilogram live weight of the animal imported," he said.
"In layman's terms, it means if we presume the average weight of a sheep/goat to
be around 30 kg, then the trader has to pay Rs.75 per animal. The net increase
in toll tax is Rs.40.
"This justifies a per kilogram increase of Re.1 or Rs.2 at the retailer's end,"
the retired official argued.
As per the rate list circulated by the local authorities, the retail price of mu
tton is fixed at Rs.230 per kg.
"The traders want an outright increase of Rs.30-40 per kg and that is not justif
ied at all," said Nazir Ahmad Mir, a resident of old city here.
Many locals even argue that there is no justification for mutton being treated a
s an essential commodity in Jammu and Kashmir.
"Whatever the rationale, mutton eating is a luxury not all locals can afford. Le
t it be dropped from the list of essential commodities and then let demand and s
upply be allowed to fix the rates of mutton in the valley," argued Muhammad Isma
il, 45, who teaches economics in a local college here.
Officials maintain mutton cannot be dropped from the list of essential commoditi
es as doctors prescribe mutton and chicken soup for patients.
"Kashmiris eat mutton almost regularly. It is extensively used in the preparatio
n of local marriage feasts called 'wazwan' and during other celebrations here,"
said an official of the provincial administration.
"Besides, it is prescribed by doctors for patients."
Bashir Ahmad War, a retired veterinarian here, rued that the valley with its wor
ld renowned meadows and pastures, still continues to import mutton from states l
ike Rajasthan, which is a desert state.
He also said, "Till the authorities are able to convince the traders that we can
live without mutton and live more healthily, the traders would continue to rais
e prices on one pretext or the other."
(F. Ahmed can be contacted at f.ahmed@ians.in)
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