The Kerala High Court on Wednesday directed the State government’s High-Level Monitoring Committee to submit monthly compliance reports on the steps taken by local bodies to curb stray dog attacks, in accordance with Supreme Court directions.

A Division Bench comprising Dr Justice AK Jayasankaran Nambiar and Justice Preetha AK issued the order while considering a suo motu petition instituted to monitor compliance with the Apex Court’s directions to remove dogs from the premises of educational institutions, hospitals, bus stands, railway stations and other such places. The Supreme Court had directed all High Courts in the country to register suo motu writ petitions to monitor compliance and warned that continued non-compliance by officials could invite contempt proceedings.

Accordingly, the High Court registered a suo motu petition in July and impleaded 1,212 local bodies in the State. Meanwhile, the State government issued three orders communicating the mandatory directives to all local bodies, formulating a standard operating procedure (SOP) for capturing stray dogs, for Animal Birth Control (ABC) procedures and euthanising rabid and ferocious dogs, and constituting a High-Level Monitoring Committee.

In its order on Wednesday, the High Court also prescribed the format for the monthly compliance reports. The reports will have to specify the local authority concerned, whether a Stray Dog Management Committee has been constituted within the local self-government institution and the level of compliance with the directions. Additionally, the extent of and reasons for non-compliance in cases of partial compliance, reasons for non-compliance where the directions have not been implemented, and the number of dogs euthanised, if any, should also be included.

“The details shown in the Format above shall be collected and tabulated by the High-Level Monitoring Committee and filed before this Court by the 10th day of every month until further orders in this regard,” the court said.

The court also directed that the suo motu petition be taken up at 1.45 pm on the third Thursday of every month. If that day is a holiday, the matter will be taken up on the following day.
(With LiveLaw inputs)