Shillong, July 12: The Meghalaya government has decided to tighten its crackdown on cattle smuggling along the India-Bangladesh border by creating district-level task forces, establishing joint check posts in vulnerable stretches and revising the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) governing the handling of seized cattle.

The decisions were taken recently during a high-level meeting between the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department and the Border Security Force (BSF), chaired by Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Minister Sanbor Shullai. The meeting was attended by the Inspector General of BSF’s Meghalaya Frontier and senior officials from both agencies.

Shullai 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.

“We reviewed the existing notification and examined measures to make enforcement more effective through better coordination among all agencies involved,” the minister said.

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.

To plug vulnerable transit routes, the government has proposed setting up joint check posts staffed by personnel from the BSF, Meghalaya Police and the Veterinary Department to strengthen surveillance and enforcement.

The revised SOP also calls for the constitution of Special Task Forces in every district to oversee the transportation of seized cattle to designated government-recognised shelters. Each task force will be headed by the concerned Block Development Officer and will include representatives from the police and the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department.

The new protocol also broadens the powers of law enforcement by authorising the police, in addition to the BSF and Customs, to seize illegally transported cattle. It mandates immediate registration of an FIR following every seizure and requires all rescued cattle to be identified through ear tags, microchips or other approved identification methods before being shifted to shelters.

Shullai said some provisions of the SOP would be further refined based on suggestions received during Friday’s deliberations.

The BSF has been asked to submit a detailed report on the issues raised within 13 days. Another round of discussions between the force and the Veterinary Department will be held thereafter to finalise the revised operational framework.

During the meeting, BSF officials informed the state government that incidents of cattle smuggling along the Meghalaya-Bangladesh border have shown a declining trend in recent years owing to intensified enforcement and vigilance