SHILLONG: Following the Hill Farmers Union’s rally, which began at the statue of Woh Kiang Nongbah and concluded at Madan Malki on September 10, 2026, the Union’s General Secretary, Bah Alfond Kharsyntiew, criticised the Meghalaya Government for allegedly failing to take the farmers’ demands seriously.
Kharsyntiew also expressed concern over the alleged system of operations at Byrni in Ri-Bhoi district.
He said that according to a clarification issued by the Deputy Commissioner of Ri-Bhoi on May 15, cattle being transported outside the state are required to have a Health Certificate and Transit Pass.
However, Kharsyntiew alleged that the Union did not find a proper check gate at Byrni but instead came across what he described as a system of direct entry. According to his allegation, ₹4,000 was collected from pickup vehicles and ₹15,000 from trucks.
He further said that members of the Union visited the location on August 3 and allegedly found that vehicles that paid money were allowed to pass quickly, while those that did not pay were stopped.
Kharsyntiew also alleged that following the visit, the Officer-in-Charge of Byrni Outpost called him and requested him not to circulate the videos recorded at the location.
Responding to the request, Kharsyntiew said that he did not consider it his responsibility to suppress or stop the circulation of the videos.
The allegations made by the Hill Farmers Union raise questions over the implementation of regulations governing the transportation of cattle from Meghalaya to other states and the alleged collection of money from vehicles at Byrni.