The Supreme Court on Monday summoned the Chief Secretaries of all states and Union Territories, except West Bengal and Telangana, for failing to file compliance affidavits detailing the implementation of the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, 2023, as previously directed.
A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and N.V. Anjaria expressed strong displeasure over the lack of compliance despite clear directions issued in August this year. The court observed that most state governments had ignored its orders to submit affidavits outlining measures taken to manage stray dog populations in accordance with the ABC Rules.
“Didn’t the officers read newspapers or social media? Haven’t they read…even if they are not served, the affidavit should have been here. All Chief Secretaries remain present here on November 3,” remarked the Justice Nath-led Bench during the hearing.
The court noted that only the governments of West Bengal and Telangana, along with the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), had filed their compliance affidavits. It expressed concern that despite repeated incidents involving stray dogs, most administrations had shown little urgency in addressing the issue.
“Continuous incidents are happening, and the image of the country is being shown as down in the eyes of foreign nations. We are also reading news reports,” the bench observed, highlighting the growing public and international concern over stray dog-related issues.
The Supreme Court also addressed the rising number of intervention applications filed by various residents’ welfare associations (RWAs) and individuals seeking to be made parties to the ongoing case. “If all RWAs want to be a party, how many crores of parties will we have here before us? Make suggestions which are reasonable,” the bench said, cautioning against unnecessary procedural delays.
The bench further warned that coercive steps and financial penalties would be imposed if Chief Secretaries failed to appear before the court on the next date of hearing. It also sought an explanation from the Chief Secretary of Delhi on why a compliance affidavit had not been filed earlier, despite the MCD’s submission of its report.
“Chief Secretary to come up with an explanation…otherwise, cost may be imposed and coercive steps will be taken,” the bench ordered.
The matter stems from a previous directive issued by the apex court on August 22, wherein all states and Union Territories were instructed to report on their implementation of the ABC Rules, including sterilisation and vaccination programmes, as well as the infrastructure available for animal shelters and dog pounds.
The case will be taken up again on November 3, when the Chief Secretaries are required to personally appear before the Supreme Court to explain their non-compliance and present detailed updates on stray dog management measures.
