SHILLONG: Butchers in Meghalaya began their two-week-long agitation on Monday by shutting down their meat shop in protest against the large-scale smuggling of cattle to Bangladesh.
The closure of the meat shops will end on February 3.
Informing this, the Khasi-Jaintia Butchers’ Welfare Association (KJBWA) said that the Association also decided not to purchase beef from Khanapara in protest against the state Government’s indifferent attitude towards the Association’s demands.
Generous Warlarpih, Vice president, KJBWA while addressing a press conference, said that at least 15-20 trucks containing 15-18 in each trucks, were smuggled through Meghalaya’s border with Bangladesh everyday. In fact, the Meghalaya police recently had seized 126 cattle from seven trucks from different locations suspected to be smuggled to Bangladesh.
“Bangladeshi cattle traders are paying Rs 40, 000 – Rs one lakh for a pair of cattle, while the local meat traders are paying at Rs 15,000 to Rs 25,000 for a pair of cows,” Warlarpih said.
However, on January 21, the association will sell beef which they had bought from an auction by the Customs Department.
The cattle smuggled to Bangladesh are dropped either at Laitlyngkot or Pynursla in East Khasi Hils district.
