Shillong, Sep 18: The Hill Farmers Union (HFU) has accused the Meghalaya government of hiding the existence of a fully-constructed Animal Shelter at 22 Mile (Mer), Narang in Ri-Bhoi district.
The charge comes days after the government told the Assembly during the Autumn Session that there is no checking post for animals, especially pigs entering from outside the state.
HFU general secretary Alfordbirth Kharsyntiew, along with Umling Block president Saiberius Inghi and secretary Bairoy L Mawnai, visited the shelter after learning about it through an Expression of Interest issued by the Directorate of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary for operating it.
“We were surprised. The facility is already built, but its existence was not disclosed even in the Assembly,” Kharsyntiew said, adding that the shelter at 22 Mer would be ideal if the government is serious about livestock checkpoints.
The union has for years demanded animal check gates, health screening and quarantine centres at Jorabat and Byrnihat to monitor pigs, cattle and poultry entering Meghalaya.
The demand follows recurring African Swine Fever outbreaks that have killed thousands of pigs, wiping out herds in some villages. The HFU said unchecked entry, with only police checks, poses a severe threat.
The union has also demanded compensation for over 1,200 affected families and waiver of loans taken under the Piggery Mission, saying many farmers who availed interest-free loans lost all livestock to ASF.
On September 14, a delegation led by president Commander Shangpliang met Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, who the union said expressed difficulty in granting compensation and loan waiver but agreed to examine the proposal for checkpoints and quarantine facilities.
The HFU, which had earlier staged a rally with live pigs in Shillong, has also sought a probe into alleged illegal collections from livestock vehicles at Byrnihat and reiterated its 2018 demand for a comprehensive agriculture policy.
