Gandhinagar: Seeking to tighten oversight of stray dog population management while addressing concerns over cruelty, the Gujarat govt has constituted a 17-member Animal Birth Control (ABC) implementation and monitoring committee. The panel has been tasked with ensuring effective enforcement of the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023, and preparing district-wise strategies to regulate stray dog populations across the state.According to a notification issued by the urban development department (UDD) on Dec 16, the committee will also oversee the formation of ABC monitoring committees at local authority levels, as mandated under the rules. The state-level body is expected to create a comprehensive framework that balances population control with animal welfare, amid growing complaints about the manner in which ABC programmes are being carried out.The committee will be chaired by the secretary of the urban development and urban housing department. Its members include the additional director (public health), additional development commissioner (panchayats), commissioner of municipality administration, two representatives each from the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) and the Gujarat State Animal Welfare Board (GSAWB), municipal commissioners of Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar, the president of the Gujarat Veterinary Council, and representatives from district and taluka panchayats.The notification acknowledged that reducing the stray dog population is one of the recognised methods to curb the menace of dog-related incidents. However, it also flagged concerns about cruelty in the implementation of the ABC Rules, stating that such issues need to be specifically addressed through monitoring and corrective action.Among the committee’s primary responsibilities is the preparation of district-wise dog population management plans and ensuring that local authorities set up monitoring committees in line with the ABC Rules. The panel has also been directed to empanel implementing agencies “possessing the requisite training and experience, who are recognised by the AWBI to carry out sterilisation programmes”.The committee must also ensure that adequate infrastructure, including shelters and medical facilities, is in place before ABC operations are undertaken. “The state monitoring committee shall also carry out inspection on receipt of any complaints regarding cruelty to animals during the programme and violation of birth control rules and take appropriate action,” the notification said.Mital Khetani, a member of the AWBI, said the move was necessary in view of gaps in earlier programmes. “There were several lacunae in the initiatives designed to control stray dog populations. This is an issue that needs a long-term, structured approach. There is no quick fix.”
