Newmai News Network
Shillong | September 27
Apart from guarding the international border, the BSF troopers in Meghalaya Frontier have to tend to cattle which have been rescued from being smuggled to Bangladesh.
Speaking to media persons at the end of the four-day meeting of the Inspectors General-Region Commanders Coordination Conference between Border Security Force (BSF) and the Border Guards of Bangladesh (BGB) held at the BSF headquarter in Shillong on Friday, Meghalaya Frontier IG, Kuldeep Saini said the cattle seized from time to time are kept under the care of the BSF.
“They are kept in our custody until the court gives an order to hand them over to the police. This is affecting our duty,” Saini said.
The BSF also informed that there are 430 cattle under the care of the Meghalaya Frontier.
The Additional Director General, Region Commander of the BGB, Md Zakir Hossain informed that the meeting has identified cattle smuggling as an area of trans-border crime and it was decided that measures will be taken to contain it.
“There are syndicates in both the Indian as well as the Bangladesh side,” Hossain said even as he added that his country is self-sufficient in the production of cattle.
“The demand and production is matching,” the BGB official said.
Meanwhile, a Delhi-based NGO Dhyan Foundation has taken up the task of helping the BSF (at the Indo-Bangladesh border) in rehabilitating the rescued cattle.
For this, the Meghalaya government has temporarily earmarked five acres of land at Saitsama, in West Jaintia Hills district to shelter the cattle seized by the BSF.
The Dhyan Foundation will provide the necessary care to animals and the Directorate of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary of the state government will provide medical support as required.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary, Department and the Dhyan Foundation is effective for five years, from June 13, 2019 to May 13, 2024.
The Dhyan Foundation will be responsible for arranging for transportation of cattle from BSF posts to the cattle shelter at Saitsama cattle farm at its own cost.
