After Uttar Pradesh, the Jharkhand government has asked illegal slaughterhouses to be shut down. The order, which was issued on Monday, has given abattoirs that are running without licences 72 hours to close, The Times of India reported.

Principal Secretary (Home) SKG Rahate has asked all deputy commissioners, senior superintendents of police, superintendents of police, municipalities and notified area committees to comply with the diktat. In the written order, the state government has cited that the step was taken keeping in mind the overall public order, safety and health of the general public. Sub-divisional officers will be made nodal officers to and ensure that the order is strictly implemented, reported The Times of India.

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The principal secretary also asked legal abattoirs to comply with the rules and regulations laid down by the Animal Husbandry Department and Health Department. However, the government doesn’t have any count of legal abattoirs in the state, according to Hindustan Times.

The order comes a week after the Vishva Hindu Parishad had demanded a crackdown on illegal slaughterhouses in the state. VHP’s Bihar and Jharkhand chief Pramod Mishra had said that all slaughterhouses running without a valid licence should be sealed, and demanded a beef ban in the state like in Maharashtra.

Mishra had also alleged that cattle smuggling was rampant across Jharkhand and had accused Chief Minister Raghubar Das of being oblivious to such activities. “In Jharkhand, cattle smuggling worth more than Rs 300 crore is taking place. The cattle of the state are smuggled to Bangladesh,” Mishra had said.

The right-wing body’s demand came after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath had directed the state police to begin closing down illegal slaughterhouses. He had also ordered a blanket ban on the smuggling of cows in Uttar Pradesh.