SC to issue directions on Nov 7 regarding feeding of stray dogs in institutions

The Supreme Court on Monday said it will issue directions on November 7 with respect to the stray dogs menace being faced in institutions including government and public sector ones where employees are supporting feeding and encouraging the canines reported news agency PTIA threejudge special bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath Sandeep Mehta and N V Anjaria was hearing the matterApart from recording the appearance and affidavits and everything we will also be issuing some directions with respect to institutional menace which is being faced in government institutions public sector institutions and other institutions where the employees are supporting feeding and encouraging dogs in that area For that we will definitely be issuing some directions Justice Nath said reported PTIOne of the advocates appearing in the matter urged the bench that they be heard prior to passing of directions on the issueFor institutional matters we are not going to hear any arguments at all Sorry Justice Mehta said reported PTIThe bench noted that chief secretaries of most of the states and Union Territories were present before itIt allowed the exemption application filed by the chief secretary of Kerala and noted that a principal secretary of the state was present in the courtThe bench said the Animal Welfare Board of India be made a party in the matterAt the outset Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the bench that most of the states and UTs have filed their compliance affidavit in the matterList for orders on November 7 the bench said reported PTIIt said personal presence of the chief secretaries of states and UTs would no longer be requiredHowever the bench said their presence would again become necessary in case there was any default in compliance of the orders passed by the courtWhile hearing the matter on October 27 the top court had directed the chief secretaries of states and UTs except West Bengal and Telangana to remain present before it on November 3 to explain why compliance affidavits were not filed despite the courts August 22 orderThe apex court on August 22 asked the states and UTs about the steps being taken for compliance of the Animal Birth Control ABC RulesThe bench had expressed displeasure over the noncompliance of its order and observed that by October 27 compliance affidavits were not filed by the states and UTs except West Bengal Telangana and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi MCDIt had made clear that the chief secretaries would have to appear in the court and explain as to why no compliance affidavits were filed by themOn October 27 the top court had slammed the states and UTs which had not filed their compliance affidavits in the matter and said continuous incidents were happening and the country was being shown as down in foreign nationsThe apex court had earlier expanded the scope of the stray dogs case beyond the confines of DelhiNational Capital Region and directed that all states and UTs be made parties in the matterIt had directed the municipal authorities to file an affidavit of compliance with complete statistics of resources like dog pounds veterinarians dogcatching personnel and speciallymodified vehicles and cages available as on date for the purpose of compliance of the ABC RulesThe bench had also impleaded the states and UTs in the matter while observing that application of ABC Rules was uniform all over IndiaThe apex court is hearing a suo motu case which was initiated on July 28 over a media report on stray dog bites leading to rabies particularly among children in the national capitalWith inputs from PTI