NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday pulled up states and union territories for failing to comply with its directions on the stray dog menace and ordered the personal presence of their Chief Secretaries on November 3, noting that the issue if affecting country’s image. The court noted that only the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and the governments of West Bengal and Telangana have filed their affidavits so far. It directed that, except for these three, Chief Secretaries of all remaining states and Union Territories must appear before it, at 10.30 am next Monday, with an explanation for not submitting their compliance reports. The bench also observed that the Delhi government itself has not filed an affidavit and instructed its Chief Secretary to be present in court as well on November 3.“Continuous incidents are happening and the image of the country is being shown as down in the eyes of foreign nations,” said Justice Nath, heading the three-judge bench. When a counsel pointed to instances of cruelty against dogs, the Court retorted, “What about cruelty towards humans?,” as quoted by Bar and Bench. The court expressed concern over the continued rise in incidents of stray dog bites and the lack of compliance by most states with its directions. Noting that only three authorities had submitted their responses so far, the bench observed that the issue required urgent attention and accountability from state administrations. “The menace of stray dogs continues across the country despite repeated directions,” the bench remarked, calling the inaction of states “unacceptable.” The apex court is monitoring the implementation of measures to manage the growing population of stray dogs and prevent attacks on citizens. It had earlier directed all states and union territories to file status reports on sterilization drives, vaccination efforts, and rehabilitation mechanisms for stray animals.
