SHILLONG: In a decisive response to recent social media reports alleging rampant illegal cattle trading along the international border.
Meghalaya Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Minister Sanbor Shullai held a high-level coordination meeting with the Inspector General of the Border Security Force (BSF) and senior officials from the state veterinary department to formulate a comprehensive strategy against smuggling.
Following the deliberative session, Minister Shullai announced that a five-point action plan had been established, focusing heavily on enhancing inter-agency collaboration and rectifying gaps in border security.
A primary takeaway from the discussion was the urgent need to accelerate full-fledged border fencing.
According to official records, a 27-kilometer stretch remains unfenced within the Khasi and Jaintia Hills region, while a little over 7 kilometers is left uncompleted in the Garo Hills sectors.
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To expedite this infrastructure push, the state government has formally requested the BSF authorities to provide detailed geographic information on the specific vulnerable areas that still require fencing.
To bolster enforcement on the ground, the BSF has been urged to intensify its checking operations in strict coordination with the state police department and local border magistrates.
The joint strategy also envisions setting up dedicated checkpoints in identified vulnerable smuggling corridors, which will be manned collectively by the police, the veterinary department, and the BSF.
Furthermore, Minister Shullai directed the immediate constitution of a Special Task Force (STF) in every district to detect the illegal transportation of cattle and ensure that all seized animals are safely transferred to departmental animal shelters.
Operating under strict Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), each district-level task force will be chaired by the Block Development Officer (BDO) of the respective C&RD Block.
The task force will also comprise the jurisdictional police officer-in-charge, local veterinary officers, the District Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Officer, and the Sub-divisional Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Officer.
A strict 13-day timeline has been set to finalize the operational framework.
Within this period, the BSF is expected to submit its comprehensive report and suggestions regarding the remaining unfenced border sections. Concurrently, the state veterinary department has been given 13 days to introduce necessary amendments and furnish a corrected draft of the SOPs.
Once these detailed reports and corrected legal drafts are received, the government will convene another joint meeting with the BSF, police, and veterinary department to formally implement the heightened security measures.
(4FrontMedia news)
