Legalize cattle trade to curb smuggling: Basaiawmoit

A CORRESPONDENT
SHILLONG, March 11: Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP) legislator from Nongkrem, Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit on Friday called for legalizing cattle trade in order to curb its smuggling.
Taking up the issue during the question hour, Basaiawmoit said that due to smuggling of cattle into neighbouring Bangladesh has created scarcity leading to increase in the price of beef in the state.
The Nongkrem legislator also said that after uproar by the butchers association the smugglers have changed their modus operandi and are now disguising themselves as butchers.
Basaiawmoit also urged the authorities to involve the butchers association and cattle traders of the state to help in identifying the genuine butchers from the smugglers.
According to him the district administration of the district council will not be able to identify a genuine from a non-genuine.
Replying to the queries, Home Minister Roshan Warjri said that steps like having periodical meeting between the state government, BSF and customs are being held so that a joint effort can be evolved to solve the issue.
Apart from strengthening intelligence inputs, the home minister said that recently a joint meeting also involving the Animal Husbandry and Veteriry department urged the Customs department to give publicity through advertisements for auction notice in advance and such sale should be held away from the border preferably in Shillong.    
The committee also suggested for joint action with the Khasi Hill Autonomous District Council which is regulating the cattle market at Khapara along the Meghalaya-Assam border.
Warjri also informed that other steps taken to check cattle smuggling included-special permit/transit pass to be issued to the transporters in order to identify any vehicle ferrying the cattle as well as the number of cattle herds in the vehicle taken to various destitions for local consumption, police department should strengthen its intelligence gathering and give advance information to the BSF and Customs authorities.