‘Livestock screening must’

By Our Reporter

SHILLONG, DEC 22: The state government assured of a legislation making screening mandatory for all imported livestock coming into the state from outside to ensure that they are healthy and fit for consumers’ consumption.

Minister in-charge of Animal Husbandry & Veterinary (AH&V) HDR Lyngdoh assured a joint delegation of the FKJGP and KJBWA on the screening issue when they met him on Thursday.

“He (Lyngdoh) has assured that the department would soon come up with a draft legislation to ensure imported livestock including cattle are safe for consumption, and place the same before the state cabinet for its approval,” FKJGP president Wellbert Rani told reporters after the meeting.

He said that the call for ensuring health screening of all livestock coming from outside the state is a legitimate right of each and every citizen considering that Meghalaya is a meat consumption state.

The demand came after Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) and Hima Mylliem had issued order cancelling the permission for screening and ear tagging of cattle at Khanapara market in Ri Bhoi District.

This decision also led the Khasi-Jaintia Butchers’ Welfare Association (KJBWA) to boycott from purchasing cattle from the Khanapara market since last month. The screening was conducted by the Veterinary department on the request of the butchers’ association.

On the other hand, FKJGP general secretary Dundee Cliff Khongsit said that the minister also informed that at the initial stage, the government would continue to conduct screening of cattle and later the same will be extended to other livestock.

“The minister also agreed to depute Veterinary doctors to the new cattle market at Byrni Ronghona which falls under Raid Nongkylla in Ri Bhoi District for conducting the screening and ear tagging,” he said.

Meanwhile, KJBWA vice president Generous Warlarpih said that the purpose of the ear tagging of cattle is also to ensure that smuggling of cattle to Bangladesh is curbed.

“It (ear tagging) will help the authorities concerned to identify the owner of the cattle involved in the illegal trade and punish him according to law, because in the past whenever such cattle are seized nobody dared to come forward to claim them,” he said while informing that the minister also assured the delegation that he would direct the state police to intensify checking against cattle smuggling.

Because of smuggling menace, beef sellers were left without no option but to hike the price of beef in the state which in turn affected the consumer. The present rate of beef per kg is Rs 280.