Hc Appoints 22 Commissioners To Check Animal Welfare Across Punjab, Haryana, Legal News, ET LegalWorld – Legal Firms

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The Punjab and Haryana high court has appointed 22 local commissioners for almost every district of Punjab and Haryana to verify the availability of land and other facilities for the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) for the purpose of constructing infirmaries and animal shelters in several districts of the state.

While appointing 10 lawyers to cover all districts of Haryana and 12 lawyers as local commissioners to cover Punjab districts, the court has specified areas to be verified by them during their visit. They have also been asked to get coloured photographs of facilities on the ground.

“The report by local commissioners should include total area of land/premises utilised for SPCA and/or infirmaries in each district, the details of the area/premises allocated to the district for SPCA and/or infirmaries, the details of employees posted in respective infirmaries and/or SPCA along with their employee code (if applicable) and their qualification, nature of their employment,” the court has ordered.

The court has also asked them to provide the details of the administrator, if any, who has been appointed and as to whether appointment of the administrator is by the SPCA and the details of infrastructure and facilities available, including ambulance and medicines/equipment available at SPCA and/or infirmaries.

Local commissioners have been asked to visit the given areas on November 25 and submit three sets of reports before December 5. The matter has now been fixed for hearing on December 20.

Justice Vinod S Bhardwaj passed these orders while hearing an ongoing plea filed by Mowgli Aid Animal Welfare Society, Chandigarh.

As per petition, providing adequate land and other facilities to district SPCAs for the purpose of constructing infirmaries and animal shelter is a requirement as per Rule 4(1) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Establishment and Regulation of Societies for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) Rules, 2001.

In addition, providing a full-time veterinary and other staff for running and maintaining such infirmaries or animal shelters is a requirement as per Rule 4(2)(i) of the said rules.

It has also been submitted that around 20 years have lapsed since the issuance of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Establishment and Regulations of Societies for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) Rules, 2001, as notified in the official gazette by the Government of India, yet the same has not been followed and implemented in letter and spirit by state governments.

The impugned inaction of the respondents is only failing to aid the government, the Animal Welfare Board of India and the local authority in enforcing the provisions of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960, the petition has argued.



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