Shillong, May 16: The Meghalaya High Court on Thursday directed the state government to form a committee to address the stray dogs menace in the state.
The bench comprising Chief Justice IP Mukerji and Justice W Diengdoh in its order passed after hearing a PIL said, “The state government shall take immediate steps not later than four weeks from date to form a Committee in terms of rule 4 of the said rules. Thereafter, the committee shall discharge its functions according to rule 5.”
This came after Kaustav Paul, the petitioner-in-person pointed out that these measures by the court might not prove to be effective. He has two reasons for this. The first is that the order only covers the Shillong district. The dog menace covers the whole of Meghalaya. Secondly, he draws our attention to the Animal Birth Control (Dogs) Rules, 2001 promulgated under sub section (1) of section 38 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960. The rules have remained a piece of paper and not enforced.
Paul also pointed out that rule 4 provides for formation of a committee comprising of the commissioner/chief of the local authority, who would be the ex–officio Chairman, representatives of Public Health Animal Welfare, District Society for the said Act, Animal Welfare Organisations and “Humanitarian or a well-known individual”. He contended that this committee be formed forthwith and discharges its functions as mentioned in rule 5.
“These functions include the measures we have directed to be taken in respect of these stray animals. Our order, he says should cover the whole state. In those circumstances, we observe and direct that the scope and ambit of this writ shall extend throughout Meghalaya,” the bench stated.
The bench directed that the commissioners of the districts and District Council shall be served copies of the writ petition along with the orders passed therein by the Advocate-on-Record for the state within a week from date.
“The commissioners along with the District Council and the local Municipal authority shall carry out our orders in their districts,” it stated while also directing the state to file a comprehensive affidavit with regard to the action taken before the returnable date on July 16.
Earlier, the state has extended the accommodation of stray dogs in its shelter for a limited period of time since the Shillong Municipal Board (SMB) did not have adequate facilities to keep them.
The SMB has informed that it is proceeding with the acquisition of land for the purpose of building a further permanent shelter after which the animals in the state shelter would be shifted to the Municipal Board accommodation.
Also Read: Meghalaya HC directs govt to handover land for Shillong Airport expansion to AAI within 2 months
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