Hyderabad: The Supreme Court on Monday expressed sharp anger after most states failed to follow its orders on stray dog control. It directed chief secretaries to appear in person on November 3 and explain the delay.
A three-judge bench led by Justice Vikram Nath, along with Justices Sandeep Mehta and N.V. Anjaria, said states had shown “serious neglect” in acting on its August orders. The court noted that dog attack cases continued nationwide. It pointed out that news reports still appeared daily, showing no visible change in the ground situation.
Court demanded affidavits on stray dog control
The bench said only West Bengal, Telangana, and the Delhi Municipal Corporation had filed affidavits. However, it noted that Telangana and Delhi submitted theirs during the Diwali holidays, so those documents were not yet on record.
The court reminded states that its August directions required them to capture, sterilise, and vaccinate stray dogs before release. It asked all other states and union territories to file affidavits listing steps taken and coordination with municipal bodies.
The bench warned that failure to comply would lead to penalties and possible further action. It said states’ inaction had caused “serious embarrassment” to the country at an international level.
Supreme Court warned of penalties for inaction
The court had issued the August orders in a suo motu case after rising incidents of dog attacks. It had also asked for progress reports on implementation. Despite clear instructions, most states had not responded.
The bench fixed the next hearing for November 3. It said that continuing delay would not be tolerated and that responsible officers must explain why orders were ignored.