A district-level task force and joint check posts will be set up by the Meghalaya government in order to tighten its crackdown on cattle smuggling along the India-Bangladesh border.
Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Minister Sanbor Shullai said the decision was taken recently during a high-level meeting between the department and the Border Security Force where the Inspector General of BSF’s Meghalaya Frontier and senior officials from both agencies were also present.
Shullai also said the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) governing the handling of seized cattle will also be revised. “We reviewed the existing notification and examined measures to make enforcement more effective through better coordination among all agencies involved,” he said.
The minister said the discussions focused on strengthening implementation of the state’s recently issued five-point notification on the maintenance and management of seized cattle while improving coordination among the BSF, Meghalaya Police and the Veterinary Department.
The government has asked the BSF to intensify surveillance along the international border in close coordination with the police and border magistrates to prevent illegal movement of cattle into Bangladesh.
The meeting also reviewed the status of border fencing, with the state urging the BSF to expedite work on the remaining unfenced stretches. According to officials, nearly 27 km of fencing in the Khasi and Jaintia Hills sector and another 7 km in Garo Hills are yet to be completed.
Shullai said the BSF has been requested to provide a detailed assessment of the pending stretches so that the matter can be pursued with the appropriate authorities for early completion.