SHILLONG: With the rising concern over cattle smuggling, the State Veterinary department has stepped in and the department will be issuing health certificates and transportation challans to cattle dealers/ associations and individuals.
Speaking to reporters here on Friday after the first meeting of the State Animal Welfare Board, Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong said the veterinary department has to set up a check point where the veterinarian will check the condition of the cattle and that once the cattle is fit for slaughter, the transportation challans will be issued.
Commenting about the role of government, he said that when the notification comes out, police will be able to seize the cattle of any individual if there is illegal transportation without the health certificate and transportation challan issued by the concerned officer from the Veterinary department.
“As per the Act, it has been authorised to Veterinary Department that henceforth the department has to step in to issue health certificates for animals brought to the state for farming, slaughtering or for any other purposes. It has to be examined by a veterinarian. So the notification on the matter will be issued very soon, sometime next week,” he said.
He informed that the Syiem of Mylliem met him along with the Khasi Jaintia Butchers’ Association (KJBWA) wherein the Minister requested them to put a stop to the strike as the government is in the process of finding a solution to the problem. The KJBWA has been on strike since June 7.
According to him, the new move made by the department will help to reduce smuggling as the destination is indicated in the challan. The transportation of cattle will be checked by veterinarians in the designated place which will be decided by the department and the transportation challan will be issued by the authorised officer of the Veterinary department.
He said the state government previously had no role in issuing challans as these were issued by the Syiem of Mylliem and the KJBWA which is not mandated in the Act. “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 have to be routed through the Veterinary department”, Tynsong said.