PFA demands action against B’sarai admn

Patna: Days after more than 39 stray dogs were gunned down by government registered shooters in Begusarai, People for Animals (PFA), India’s largest non-governmental animal welfare organization, has demanded severe punitive action against the district administration which allowed killing of the the canines.Gauri Maulekhi, trustee of the PFA, in her letter to CM Nitish Kumar said Bihar is the land of monasteries, a state rooted in culture of peace and ‘ahimsa’ since ancient times and hence the heinous act of shooting streets dogs to death, instead of undertaking its lawful, social and moral responsibility to ensure scientific management is an utter disgrace to the state. Maulekhi, who also happens to be a member of state’s Animal Birth Control (ABC) Monitoring and Implementation Committee termed the killing of the street dogs as a gross violation of the IPC 1860 and prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960.In her letter, she mentioned that the honourable Supreme Court in SLP (C) 691/2009 repeatedly emphasized on the need to conduct Animal Birth Control Programme in accordance with the Animal Birth Control (dogs) Rules 2001 and in accordance with the Revised Module for Street Dog Population Management, rabies eradication, reducing man-dog conflict. The apex court also directed for formulation of State ABC Monitoring and Implementation Committee.“While the state on paper formed the committee of which I am a Member, it has failed to execute the rules and order of the Supreme Court,” she alleged. In failing to scientifically and effectively manage street dog population, she added, the state has resorted to shameful and violent acts of killing. Repeated calls made to Begusarai DM Raushan Kushwaha and also text messages sent to him went unnoticed. However, a local district administration official said they had to hire shooters to kill dogs since canines had `become threats to human lives as they killed around seven villagers in the past few weeks, causing panic among the local population.