ABC Programme: Centre calls out municipalities, corporations for unstructured street dog management

New Delhi: The government is aware that municipalities and corporations are conducting animal birth control programmes for street dog management in an "unstructured" manner without following rules, Parliament was informed on Tuesday.

The ministry had notified Animal Birth Control Rules 2023 on March 10 under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 after superseding the ABC (Dogs) Rules, 2001.

Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Minister Parshattom Rupala, in his written reply to Lok Sabha, said, "there is information that the muncipalities and corporations are conducting Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme in an unstructured manner without following rules."

On whether the government was aware of the discrepancy between the reported decline in animal bite cases and the ground reality, Rupala said, "no, Sir".

Information on dog bite cases are reported on the Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP) under the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) implemented by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The data is collected through hospitals according to the declaration of the patient, he said.

Asked if the government is open to reviewing existing policies regarding the permission to kill dangerous and aggressive dogs in alignment with scientific advancements, the minister said euthanasia is allowed for animals who are severely ill and are incurable as per the Prevention of Cruelty to Animal Act, 1960.

However, the Act prohibits the culling of healthy animals and states that the only effective way to control or manage the stray dog population is through ABC programme.

The Supreme Court, in an order dated November 18, 2015, directed that no innovative method or subterfuge should be adopted by the local authority other than those prescribed under the ABC (Dog) Rules, 2001 notified by the central government, which has now been superseded by ABC Rules, 2023.

Any kind of laxity while carrying out statutory obligations is not countenanced in law, the minister said.

He said the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) is expeditiously processing the applications received for Project Recognition for conducting ABC programme so that the effective implementation of the programme can be carried out at local levels.

Animal welfare organisations engaged by the local authority having requisite infrastructure, training and expertise for carrying out ABC programme are eligible to submit the online application through the AWBI portal for Project Recognition of each ABC Centre, he added.

In a separate reply, the minister said Kerala government on July 13 wanted to operationalise at least one ABC Centre in a block for effective management of dog population. PTI