The Supreme Court on Monday said it will pronounce its order in the ongoing stray dogs case on November 7. A special three-judge bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and N V Anjaria made the announcement after taking note of the presence of chief secretaries from most states and Union Territories in the courtroom.
During the hearing, the bench accepted an exemption application filed by the Kerala chief secretary, noting that a principal secretary from the state was present instead. The court also directed that the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) be included as a party in the case.
The Chief Secretaries of all States and Union Territories appeared before the Supreme Court on Monday and offered an unconditional apology for failing to submit compliance affidavits regarding the issue of stray dog bites.
At the outset, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the bench that most states and Union Territories (UTs) had submitted their compliance affidavits regarding the matter. The bench then said, “List for orders on November 7,” indicating that the final direction will be issued on that date.
The court further stated that the personal appearance of chief secretaries would no longer be required unless a state or UT failed to comply with its directions.
The matter stems from the Supreme Court’s earlier orders issued on August 22, asking states and UTs to detail the steps taken to implement the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules. On October 27, the top court expressed displeasure that several states and UTs had still not filed their compliance affidavits, except West Bengal, Telangana, and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).
Court Criticized States Over Non-Compliance
Frustrated with the lack of progress, the bench had summoned chief secretaries of all non-compliant states and UTs, except West Bengal and Telangana, to appear before it on November 3 and explain the delays.
During the October 27 hearing, the apex court had strongly criticized the states for failing to act, warning that continuous incidents were tarnishing the country’s image globally. “Continuous incidents are happening and the country is being shown as down in foreign nations,” the bench had remarked.
Originally limited to the Delhi-NCR region, the Supreme Court had earlier widened the scope of the stray dogs matter, directing that all states and UTs be made parties. It further ordered municipal authorities nationwide to file affidavits with comprehensive data on dog pounds, veterinary staff, dog catchers, and specially designed vehicles and cages available for enforcing ABC Rules.
(With inputs from PTI)