People’s Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday said she had spoken to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann over reports that Kashmiri mutton dealers were being stopped and harassed by contractors in the name of the Cattle Fair Act at Madhopur and the Shambhu border.
In a post on X, Mehbooba said Mann assured her of prompt action after she raised concerns regarding the difficulties faced by livestock traders transporting animals to Jammu and Kashmir.
“…He was kind enough to assure me of prompt action,” Mehbooba said.
The development comes amid growing fears of a mutton shortage in Jammu and Kashmir after the Coordination Committee of the Mutton Dealers Association announced an indefinite halt to livestock imports from outside states.
The association alleged that contractors and local authorities in Punjab were imposing “illegal” charges ranging from Rs 15,000 to Rs 25,000 on each truck carrying livestock to Jammu and Kashmir. As a result, loading of livestock trucks from mandis in Delhi, Rajasthan, Ambala, Amritsar and other centres has been suspended.
Committee members said transporting livestock through Punjab had become risky, forcing dealers to stop supplies until the issue was resolved permanently.
Jammu and Kashmir consumes over 60,000 tonnes of mutton annually, with around 50 truckloads carrying more than 5,000 animals entering the union Territory every day from Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and Punjab. Dealers warned that the disruption could impact supplies during the peak wedding season when demand typically rises by about 30 per cent.
