SHILLONG, July 25: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday said the Assam Cattle Preservation Bill, 2021 will not affect the other states in the Northeast as it is meant to stop cattle smuggling outside the country (to Bangladesh) and not the legal trade.
“The law is very clear. Assam will release the consignment if a permit for the same has been issued by the Meghalaya government. The ban is within the geographic territory of Assam,” Sarma told reporters.
He said consignments destined for Meghalaya, Nagaland or Arunachal Pradesh shall require certification from the government concerned for clearance. He assured that the Assam cattle law will in no way affect consumption and supply in the neighbouring states.
He said the whole idea behind bringing the legislation is to ensure that the cattle do not go out of the country. His obvious reference was to Bangladesh.
“We want to stop cattle smuggling. We are not stopping the legal trade,” he added.
Recently, politicians, pressure groups and a butchers’ association in Meghalaya had expressed apprehension that the Assam government decision would choke the supply of cattle to Meghalaya.
Opposition Congress had asked Chief Minister, Conrad K Sangma to come up with a law to counter the Assam law. The CM had stated that the state government would raise the issue, not just with the Assam government but also the Centre if the Assam law affects the transit of cattle to Meghalaya from other states.
A certain shortage in supply of cattle to Meghalaya was reported recently by the Khasi Jaintia Butchers’ Welfare Association. It claimed that cattle were not coming to the state after the Assam government had tabled the bill in the Assembly.
