Meghalaya BJP MLA Sanbor Shullai has written to Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma over the unease in his state following Dispur’s decision to ban the consumption of beef in public while seeking his intervention in ensuring the “smooth” transportation of bovines to the neighbouring state for traders with valid official documents.

The Meghalaya MLA, who is the chairman of the Meghalaya Tourism Development Corporation Limited, in a letter to Sarma on Wednesday said the recent “beef ban in Assam has created concern among the residents of Meghalaya” over the likelihood of “a hike in beef prices” owing to the approaching Christmas and New Year festivities.

The Assam cabinet had on December 4 decided to ban the consumption of beef in public (hotels, restaurants and community gatherings) to further strengthen the Assam Cattle Preservation Act, 2021.

Shullai said the local bovine traders have “repeatedly submitted their grievances” over bringing bovines from other states to landlocked Meghalaya “for legitimate business, agriculture and allied purposes” through Assam.

“The local bovine animal traders are already suffering due ... to the Assam Cattle Preservation Act 2021. Sir, it is well known fact that beef is one of the main staple food of the people of the state (Meghalaya) and about 60 per cent of the beef requirement in the state is met through import from other states. So on behalf of the people of Meghalaya, I would like to request your kind intervention in smooth flow of transportation of bovine animals to the state of Meghalaya for traders and vehicles having valid documents provided by the state authority,” Shullai’s letter stated.

Sources said that both selling of beef and transportation of cattle have been adversely impacted since the ban was announced.

Shullai’s letter also mentions that the ban has “caused a stir in our state and has been used by our Opposition parties to give it a direction that it is a hidden agenda of the NDA to ban beef in the entire country.

“Although it has been repeatedly clarified by our central leaders that food habit is a state subject”, Opposition parties have been “spreading wrong information among the indigenous communities”, Shullai added.

The Meghalaya BJP MLA, however, said that the points made in his letter were “made keeping in view the food habits of the indigenous people of Meghalaya and it has nothing to do with the religious sentiments of any community and it has nothing to do with the religious belief of any community and the people here are not against the religious belief of any community and we highly respect the culture and tradition of others”.