Inadequate facilities for animals: HC issues notice to Haryana

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 14

The alleged inaction of the authorities concerned to allocate/provide adequate land and other facilities for constructing infirmaries and animal shelters came under judicial scanner today. Acting on a petition, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today issued a notice of motion to the State of Haryana and other respondents.

Among other things, it was contended in the petition that the SPCA, Panchkula, was not discharging its duties to rescue, treat and rehabilitate injured animals and for the prevention of cruelty to animals in the district, even though it was the main objective of its existence.

Taking up the petition filed by Mowgliaid Animal Welfare Society through counsel Anurag Chopra, Justice Raj Mohan Singh also fixed March 31 as the next date of hearing in the case after taking note of the state counsel’s prayers for time to file the latest status report.

Appearing before the Bench, Chopra contended that constructing infirmaries and animal shelters was a requirement in accordance with Rule 4(1) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Establishment and Regulations of Societies for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) Rules.

Chopra, in the petition, added that there were about 1,05,871 “livestock animals” in Panchkula district as per the 20th Livestock Census, 2019, report issued by the Haryana Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying. He added that the respondent authority miserably failed to act in the interest of animals, despite having “such a large amount of livestock /large animals, clearly necessitating apt and proper functioning of the SPCA, Panchkula”.

Chopra added that “about 20 years had lapsed since the issuance of the Rules. Yet the same had not been followed and implemented in its true letter and spirit by the SPCA, Panchkula. The formation/constitution of the SPCA, Panchkula, only exists on papers, and no such steps and measures have been taken for the efficient functioning and is miserably failing in discharging its bounden statutory obligations laid down by the Supreme Court for the welfare of ownerless animals and prevention of cruelty to animals and mandating proactive work for the welfare of animals through its various judgments”.

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