Illegal trade of banned broiler chicken continues in Assam despite government restrictions

Despite the state government's restrictions on the sale and consumption of broiler chicken due to rising cases of Avian Influenza, the supply of broiler chickens continues unabated right under the nose of the administration. On March 10, the Assam government had banned the import of poultry into the state temporarily with immediate effect due to the outbreak of Avian Influenza (H5N1) in a few states in the country.

The Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department issued a notification to this effect. The notification stated that, in view of the outbreak of highly pathogenic Avian Influenza in the states of Bihar and Jharkhand, the Assam Government had to impose a temporary ban on the entry of poultry into the state through the western border as a precautionary measure. The department instructed all deputy commissioners of the districts in the western border of the state to ban the entry of vehicles carrying poultry into the state until further notification. The department also said that the district veterinarians would assist the district administration in imposing the ban.

However, the banned broiler chicken is being smuggled into Assam through various routes from West Bengal, with the syndicate reportedly active from 11 pm to 5:30 am. According to reports, at night, a group of people cross over to Assam from West Bengal with VIP vehicles to collect broiler chicken-filled vehicles from various routes. This illegal trade continues to operate despite the government's order to ban the sale and consumption of broiler chicken.

Kokrajhar Superintendent of Police, Pushpraj Singh, spoke exclusively to India Today NE, saying that there are many routes from where the broilers are brought to Assam from West Bengal, including land, river, and forest routes. The police forces are nabbing people and the vehicles carrying illegal broilers to Assam and sending them to the veterinary department. Although there is no proof that the syndicate exists, they nab culprits and interrogate them. Singh denied that the syndicate exists, and he said that the people bringing broilers from other states follow different routes and have been in the business for five to six years. Despite this, the police are trying to find the syndicate link and the syndicate names.

Although police and the government are doing their best to stop the illegal broilers from coming to Assam, the broiler shops and the broiler business in Assam have a different scenario. People do not seem to be afraid of the avian influenza and are still buying and eating broilers. When asked about the Avian Influenza and the health hazards of broilers, a customer, Ranjita Das, said that she is not afraid of the influenza and till now no reports of any disease or health hazards have come in news or anywhere after eating broiler, so she is not afraid of buying or eating broilers.

However, small shop owners of broilers are doing business somehow, sometimes incurring losses, because of the government order on banning broilers import from other states. The broiler price in wholesale has risen, with one chicken shop owner telling India Today NE that he used to get 1 kg of broilers for Rs. 100, but now it costs him Rs. 130 to Rs. 135. He said that he is well aware of the syndicate of broilers and that if the syndicates are stopped, they will be able to get the broilers at a much lower price. When asked about health concerns, he said that people come to his shop to buy chickens despite the ban on broiler import, and it doesn't seem to matter to them.

The smuggling of banned broiler chicken not only poses a threat to the health of consumers but also hampers the livelihood of poultry farmers in Assam, who are struggling to sell their produce due to the ban. It is high time that the Animal Husbandry department and the police take stringent action against these syndicate mafias and put an end to this illegal trade once and for all.