Joint effort between forces, depts to curb cattle smuggling

SHILLONG: Home Minister Roshan Warjri informed the House on Friday that with joint effort from BSF, Customs and police, the State Government will be able to contain cattle smuggling in Meghalaya.
Replying to a question by Ardent Basaiawmoit (HSPDP), the Home Minister said that through the joint meetings with BSF, Customs and the police, a joint action can be evolved to tackle cattle smuggling.
Basaiawmoit also brought to notice the modus-operandi of the cattle smugglers which was to disguise themselves as butchers. Warjri informed that the Chief Secretary had recently conducted a meeting with BSF, Customs, Police and Animal Husbandry officials on the issue.
The Home Minister said that during the meeting, various suggestions including the need to have a legal statutory provision to implement a law to regulate cattle smuggling was proposed. Another suggestion was to publish advance notices by the Customs for auction of cattle away from the borders.
She added that the need for better gathering of intelligence and increasing vigil in the borders were also raised in the meeting.
A suggestion also emerged in the meeting to include the district councils in the next round of the meet, the Minister said.
To a question by Nihim D Shira(NPP),the Minister said that the number of cattle seized in Khasi Hills was 134  in 2015 whereas for the whole state, the number was 1965.
Division within Oppn
However, Basaiawmoit wanted the State Government to take the help of Butchers’ Association to check cattle smuggling, which was not accepted by the Home Minister, who, however, said that the Association can be called in the next meeting.
Raising a question and disagreeing with Basaiawmoit, Opposition Leader Donkupar Roy said that it is the responsibility of the government to check cattle smuggling and not the task of any group like the Butchers’ Association.
The Minister asserted that the government can involve the members of the Association by inviting them for a meeting.