Guwahati: The Meghalaya government has instructed all three Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) not to impose entry tolls on livestock, with Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Minister Sanbor Shullai saying the practice is not legally permissible.
Addressing the issue on Friday, Shullai said the department intervened after a complaint was received over a Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) order authorising Francis L Nongbri of Mawlai Nongkwar to collect taxes on animals entering the state.
He said the complaint was forwarded to departmental officials for a legal examination to determine whether the council’s authorisation was valid.
Based on that review, the department wrote to the District Council Affairs Department on June 30, enclosing a KHADC order dated June 1 that allowed toll collection from livestock-carrying vehicles at 19th Mile, Byrnihat during 2026-27.
The communication, signed by Under Secretary P Lyngdoh, requested that KHADC and the other Autonomous District Councils be informed that entry tolls on livestock cannot be collected.
Shullai said the department has since asked KHADC to discontinue the levy, maintaining that such collections are contrary to the law.
He added that the same direction has been conveyed to the remaining two Autonomous District Councils to ensure that no entry charges are imposed on livestock anywhere in Meghalaya.