Kashmir Impulse Desk

Srinagar, June 29

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has written to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann seeking immediate intervention to address allegations of unauthorised fee collection from livestock transport vehicles passing through Punjab, saying the practice was disrupting supplies, inflating costs and causing hardship to traders as well as animals in transit.

In a letter to his Punjab counterpart, Abdullah said concerns raised by the All Kashmir Wholesale Mutton Dealers Union indicated that livestock-laden vehicles travelling to Jammu and Kashmir were allegedly being stopped by certain contractor groups associated with cattle fairs and compelled to pay charges despite carrying all mandatory permits and statutory documents.

He said such interruptions were leading to avoidable delays, financial losses for transporters and adverse consequences for animal welfare.

The chief minister referred to the findings of an internal committee constituted by Jammu and Kashmir’s Department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, which, he said, found that transporters were reportedly being forced to make substantial payments during transit without any apparent legal sanction.

Abdullah noted that livestock movement is exempt from the Goods and Services Tax and said the alleged collection of unauthorised charges was imposing an additional financial burden on the trade, with the potential to push up meat prices and ultimately affect consumers across Jammu and Kashmir.

He said Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir shared longstanding economic and social ties and expressed hope that any such practices, if found to be occurring, would be addressed in the spirit of cooperation between the two neighbouring governments.

The chief minister also drew attention to reports that the tendering process for cattle fairs in Punjab was expected to begin shortly and conveyed apprehensions expressed by stakeholders that the alleged practice could continue unless safeguards were introduced in the new contracts.

Seeking Punjab’s intervention, Abdullah requested Mann to have the matter examined and ensure the smooth, secure and unhindered movement of livestock consignments through the state.

He also urged the Punjab government to ensure that transporters carrying valid documentation were not subjected to unauthorised interference or illegal fee collection during transit.

Expressing confidence in continued cooperation between the two governments, Abdullah thanked Mann in advance for addressing the concerns in the interest of traders, consumers and the uninterrupted movement of essential livestock supplies between the two neighbouring regions.