Eid Mutton Crisis: Who’s To Blame? 

As Eid draws near, mutton prices touching Rs 800 per kilogram in Kashmir is outright exploitation, and the public’s fury is completely justified. But beneath this anger lies a deeper question: why do the authorities seem helpless to act? The answer reveals a regulatory vacuum that has left consumers completely exposed. The real cause of this crisis is not simply greedy traders. It is a legal gap. In June 2023, the Government of India barred Jammu and Kashmir from controlling mutton prices by revoking the Jammu and Kashmir Mutton (Licensing and Control) Order of 1973. This 50-year-old rule had empowered the Food and Consumer Affairs Department to fix prices and license traders. It was declared no longer valid after the Food Safety and Standards Act came into force in 2006. The High Court later confirmed that the old order had ceased to exist, leaving the market without any price control mechanism. Since then, consumers have been left at the mercy of supply and demand—a cruel situation in a place where mutton is not a luxury but a cultural necessity. The government’s silence on filling this legal gap has created a vacuum where profiteering thrives. As mutton dealers themselves point out, authorities cannot scrap the regulatory framework and then blame traders when prices shoot up. The absence of any pre-Ramadan or pre-Eid meeting between officials and traders this year, for the first time in decades, shows a complete breakdown of even basic oversight. Adding to this failure is the unresolved problem of livestock transportation. The solution requires urgent action on multiple fronts. First, the government must immediately frame new rules under the existing legal framework to restore price regulation. If the 1973 order is dead, a new order must replace it. Second, the government must take up the matter with the Punjab authorities to stop the harassment of livestock transporters. Third, even without formal price control, enforcement teams must crack down on hoarding and black marketing under essential commodities laws. Finally, the minister concerned must break his silence and show a visible presence in the markets. Eid’s joy should not be stolen by regulatory failure. The public’s anger is justified. The government must protect consumers from exploitation.