India, April 12 -- The Bombay high court on Tuesday directed the Maharashtra government to decide on the plea filed by the Al Quraish Human Welfare Association challenging the steep hike in the medical examination fees charged at the Deonar abattoir for the cattle taken there for slaughter.

The association's public interest litigation challenged a notification issued in May 2022 hiking the fee from Rs.20 to Rs.200 per animal.

The PIL, filed through advocate AA Qureshi, stated that despite a government resolution passed in June 2023, which granted a relaxation on the medical examination fee for cattle meant for sacrifice during Bakri Eid that year, the public slaughterhouse had overcharged an unjustified amount.

The drastic increase in ...