Beef Market Hit By Depletion Of Stock In Meghalaya

Staff Correspondent

Shillong: Since June 7, the beef culinary continues to be absent in any beef-eating household or food joints in Khasi, Jaintia Hills. Its absence is not because of the “beef ban” but due to the Khasi Jaitia Butchers Association (KJBA) refusal to procure the bovines from the Khanapara market located in Ri Bhoi district.

According to the president of the KJBA, Gwarlarpih, “The administration of the market has gone to such an extent that the preferred oxens are given to dealers who smuggle the cattle to Bangladesh, leaving the less preferred ones for the local butchers”. This too comes at a price – any domestic consumer will have to pay Rs 400 per kg.

While the cattle market is usually a weekly affair, the KJBA consistently found out that cattle heads are being transported from the Khanapara market by alleged smugglers in the pretext of transporting them for local consumption to other parts of the State. The KJBA directly accused the management of the Khanapara cattle market of being in league with the smugglers who herd the cattle to Bangladesh. The KJBA based its arguments on the basis of the recent interception where wrong challans were seized from the trucks ferrying the oxens.

“Besides the challans, even the health certificates, purportedly issued by the Department of Veterinary and Animal Husbandry turned out to be fake”, stated Warlarpih. He said that they have brought the matter up with the Deputy Commissioner of Ri-Bhoi district Rossete Kurbah, who in turn asked them to lodged an FIR

Taking further cudgel on the traditional Syiem of Hima Mylliem for allowing the market to carry on with its usual business, the KJBA functionary said, “The insensitivity is visible when it doesn’t even recognize the detected anomalies within the market itself”.

The Deputy Commissioner of Ri- Bhoi district could not be contacted over the phone on Tuesday. However, the Director of Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Dr C Shylla categorically stated that they have nothing to do with the trade except for certifying the healthy animals in the market. “Our Vet goes to the market and simply certifies the bovines that are healthy for consumption. Nothing more nothing less”, Shylla stated. The categorical statement of the director came in the wake that fake certificates have come into the fore in the recent past.

The Syiem of Mylliem could not be contacted for his comments.

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