The court asked the government to file its reply by April 3.

The court said any communication to the Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) in this regard should also be brought on record by the LMC counsel.

A division bench of justice Amreshwar Pratap Sahi and justice Sanjay Harkauli issued the order on an application moved in a writ petition of 2015 filed by Shahabuddin and nine meat traders. The written order was issued on?Tuesday.

Seeking directives for the renewal of licences of their meat shops, the petitioners had alleged that the matter was urgent as they had been prevented from carrying on their trade. They said their establishments were being forcibly closed even as their licences were pending for renewal.

The counsel of the petitioners, GC Sinha, said the licences of meat shops had not been renewed since 2014.

“The petitioners had moved a writ petition in the high court in 2015 and the court had sought reply from the respondents,” Sinha said.

Plea in NGT

An environment activist moved the NGT against “illegal” slaughter houses in UP, alleging that these were discharging effluent into drains.

The plea, which has been listed before a bench headed by Justice Jawad Rahim, also seeks the execution of the NGT’s 2015 order for closure of all illegal slaughter houses in the state. The plea has made the UP government, Central Pollution Control Board, UP Pollution Control Board and state groundwater department as parties in the case. The plea, filed through advocate Anuja Chauhan, seeks action against four “illegal” slaughterhouses in Aligarh.