HC quashes Centre's order barring pig bristles clearance

Chennai, Mar 6 (UNI) The Madras High Court today quashed an order passed by the Centre, preventing a trader to clear imported pig bristles from Chennai Port.

Allowing a writ petition filed by M/S Beekey Enterprises of Chennai, Mr Justice K Chandru directed the Quarantine Officer of Tamil Nadu Animal Quarantine and Certification Services, Secretary of Ministry of Agriculture, New Delhi, and Deputy Commissioner of Customs, Chennai, to allow the petitioner to take delivery of the bristles imported by him from China.

The petitioner submitted that they were aggrieved by the order passed by the Quarantine Officer on April 19, 2007, denying permission for clearing the consignment on the ground of outbreak of Avian Influenza in China.

Though the Union Ministry of Agriculture, by a notification dated February two, 2007, prohibited the entry of ''live pig and pig meat products along with some other products'', his consignemnt was only pig bristles meant for making paint brushes.

The petitioner submitted that the order of the Quarantine Officer was illegal and arbitrary and it should be quashed.

While quashing the notification, the Judge said the Customs circular and the clearance by other ports clearly indicated that pig bristles were not prohibited from being imported to India.

The Judge also directed the Customs officials to permit the petitioner to take delivery of the pig bristles within four weeks.

UNI XR AJ SY AS2031