SHILLONG: The Border Security Force (BSF) is likely to use drones in vulnerable areas in the state.
Kuldeep Saini, inspector general of the BSF Meghalaya Frontier, said there is a proposal for induction of drones for surveillance. However, he said that “timeline cannot be given but we have projected the demand to the government and let’s see when it materializes”.
On border fencing, Saini said 72.8 km is not yet fenced and work is under progress along 47 km, which is mostly in West Jaintia Hills and East Khasi Hills.
In Garo Hills, he said the elephant corridor cannot be disturbed and patches like nullahs and culverts which are unfenced areas.
The IG said the troops of the Meghalaya Frontier affected seizure worth more than Rs 36 crore, besides apprehending 176 illegal entrants/smugglers from the international border.
In fact, the BSF is taking major steps to check smuggling and recycling of cattle.
“It has been curbed to a greater extent… The state government is taking steps to check that the auctioned cattle are not recycled. Certain measures such as marking on the cattle, and inquiring as to what the cattle are being used for,” he added.
Earlier, cattle were handed over to the customs and they used to be given for auction and re-circulated but now this trend is curbed to a greater extent, he said.
The auctioning of seized cattle by customs was discontinued to comply with the said order of the Supreme Court.
As per the Supreme Court order, the sale of cattle should be consonance with the Prevention of Animal Cruelty Act (PCA), (Care and maintenance of Case Property Animals) Rules 2017 and Customs officers are not empowered under the provisions of the PCA Rule or the PCA Act.
The cattle seized by the BSF will be handed over to the state police who are empowered under the act following which sale or disposal of cattle can be done by the state police who should hand over the seized cattle to a Gaushala or a cow shed.
Saini informed that around 1,100 cattle are still in the Border Outpost. More than 1,000 cattle have died as the condition where they were found in showed that they were sick and injured. More than 16 crore cattle have been seized. “The cattle will now be handed over to the customs as before but there is some delay in percolating the instructions”, he said, adding that the authorities concerned will revert to the earlier system but currently it is only in the minutes and there is no instruction from the Ministry of Home Affairs.
