Supreme Court demands Chief Secretaries’ presence on November 3 over delay in stray dogs compliance.
New Delhi
The Supreme Court on Monday directed all States and Union Territories to ensure the personal appearance of their Chief Secretaries on November 3 in connection with the stray dogs case, after observing that many had failed to file compliance affidavits as per its earlier order.
A Bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and N.V. Anjaria expressed displeasure over the non-compliance, warning that coercive measures would follow if officials failed to appear. The court, however, exempted Telangana, West Bengal, and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, all of which had filed detailed status reports.
“Didn’t the officers read newspapers or social media? Haven’t they read, even if not served, they should have been here. All Chief Secretaries to be present on November 3… We will hold court in an auditorium,” the Bench remarked.
The court noted that the stray dog menace remains unresolved despite repeated directions, with incidents of attacks continuing across the country. On August 22, the apex court had expanded the case beyond the Delhi-NCR region, including all States and Union Territories, and directed the sterilisation and immunisation of stray dogs, except those with rabies or aggressive behaviour.
Earlier, the court had prohibited unregulated public feeding of stray dogs and ordered that NGOs be compensated ₹25,000 each for establishing complaint mechanisms. It also directed municipal bodies to maintain proper records of captured, sterilised, and released dogs while ensuring community safety.
Senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing petitioner NGOs, urged the court to stay the August 11 order, citing inadequate shelter homes and lack of sterilisation facilities.
