New Delhi: Trinamool Congress MP Sushmita Dev has written to Chief Justice of India (CJI) B.R. Gavai, appealing for a review of the Supreme Court’s direction to round up all stray dogs from Delhi-NCR and move them to shelters within eight weeks.
The court’s directions are “sudden and lack a proper plan to humanely handle the stray dog issue”, she wrote in her letter.
Joining the chorus of politicians appealing for a review of the Supreme Court’s direction, Dev has said it goes against existing law, could cost crores to exchequers, and close off humane and legally recognised options to the problem.
Issues involving the public should not be decided by the court alone through fixed directions, she has said.
The Rajya Sabha MP has further highlighted that by not allowing any intervention applications in this matter, despite the significant public interest involved, the court has restricted the participation of key stakeholders.
By rejecting the amicus curiae’s suggestion to permit adoption of captured stray dogs, the court has effectively closed off “a humane and legally recognised option for their relocation under the existing legal framework”.
“While I fully appreciate the intention of the Hon’ble Court to address public safety and civic concerns, I am compelled to humbly submit that certain aspects of the directions may have unintended and adverse consequences – particularly for the welfare of stray animals and the practical capacity of civic bodies to implement such measures within the prescribed timelines,” Dev has said in the 13 August letter.
Giving a point-by-point explanation of why the directions merit reconsideration, Dev has said the Supreme Court directions go against the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023, made under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, especially in matters related to moving, sterilising, and treating stray animals kindly.
While the court’s concerns are valid, such a task needs careful planning and input from experts, authorities, and welfare groups, she has argued. “Respectfully, issues needing coordinated efforts and public involvement shouldn’t be decided by the Court alone through fixed directions.”
“The lack of flexibility in the Court’s directions is likely to cause unplanned and ineffective execution by the authorities, which may aggravate the situation instead of improving it,” she has added. “The short timeline may force officials to overlook the humane procedures mandated by law, possibly leading to widespread harm or death of stray dogs.”
Given that at present, there are no dedicated pounds in Delhi, such an exercise cannot be completed within eight weeks, she has pointed out. Even if these pounds were somehow constructed, maintaining them would require employing approximately lakh personnel for cleaning, feeding, security, and other upkeep, she added.
“Feeding such a large population of dogs could cost the exchequer around crores per week or month, in addition to staffing, veterinary care, and maintenance costs,” she has said. “At a time when resources are scarce and many citizens continue to struggle for basic needs, the diversion of such significant funds to maintain pounds must be carefully evaluated.”
Evacuating dogs in this sudden manner would lead to problems of law and order since it will lead to opposition from local residents, animal feeders, and welfare volunteers, and could result in an increase in monkey population in the city since monkeys are kept at bay by dogs.
“In view of these concerns, it is respectfully submitted that the matter demands a reconsideration that balances public safety, legal compliance, and compassion for animals,” she has said, appealing for a larger bench to be constituted to review the matter.
Several MPs, including Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi, and Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi have questioned the practicality and humaneness of the SC order.
Dev’s TMC colleague, Saket Gokhale Tuesday had also written to the CJI appealing for a review.
“The unintentional consequence of these directions will be to consign all stray dogs in Delhi to a certain death in extremely inhumane conditions,” he said. The directions are “unreasonable with regards to taking an adversarial and hostile approach towards animal lovers and feeders,” he has further said.
(Edited by Gitanjali Das)
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