SHILLONG: With the rising concern of cattle smuggling, the State Veterinary department has stepped in and the department will be issuing health certificate and transportation challan to cattle dealers/ associations and individuals.
Speaking to reporters on Friday after holding the first meeting of the State Animal Welfare Board, Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong said the veterinary department has to create one check point where the Veterinary doctor has to check the health condition of the cattle and once the cattle is found fit for slaughtering and then only the transportation challan will be issued.
Commenting about the role of government, he said that once the notification comes out anyone who transports cattle but does not possess the two papers –health certificate and transportation challan issued by the concerned officer from the Veterinary department — the police will seize the cattle.
He said, “As per the Act, it has been authorized to Veterinary Department that henceforth the department has to step in to issue health certificate for any animals that being brought to the state for farming/slaughtering or for any other purposes. It has to be examined/checked by a veterinary doctor. So the notification on the matter will be issued very soon, sometime next week.”
He informed that the Syiem of Mylliem met him as well as the Khasi Jaintia Butchers Association (KJBWA), wherein the Minister requested them to lift the strike as the government is stepping in.
It may be mentioned that the KJBWA has been on strike since June 7.
According to him, the new move of the department will help to reduce smuggling as the destination is indicated in the challan.
The transportation of cattle will be checked by the veterinary doctors in the designated place to be decided by the department and also to issue transportation challan has to be issued by the authorized officer of the Veterinary Department.
He stated that previously the state government has no role pertaining to the issuance of challan as the challan were issued by the Syiem of Mylliem and the Khasi Jaintia Butchers’ Welfare Association (KJBWA) which is not mandated in the Act.
To this the Minister said, “We want to rectify this and next week, we will come out with a notification where all the cattle dealers /association or any individuals who are supposed to transport cattle has to be routed through the Veterinary Department.”