HP to reconstitute Animal Welfare Board: Dhumal

Shimla, Feb 23 (UNI) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal today said his government was considering reconstitution and strengthening of the State Animal Welfare Board and implementation of the Animal Cruelty Act to prevent cruelty to animals.

Presiding over the state level meeting convened to formulate future plan for development of ''Gau Sadans'' here, he said the Board constituted to cater to the welfare needs of the animals would be reconstituted up to the district level to improve its functioning.

Mr Dhumal said it would act as the facilitator to protect the domestic animals from cruelty and abandonment, especially cows, who were considered holy.

He said that it had been observed that a few people were abandoning their domestic animals on finding them useless as against the religious sentiments of the people of the country.

Because of this the state government has started enumeration of all the domestic animals in the state to prevent their abondonment and hold people responsibile for it, he said.

The Chief Minister said whereever required the Animal Cruelty Act would also be enforced to protect the animal from any cruel act commited by any person.

He also directed the authorities to convene the meeting of the reconstituted board in April to chalk out its future strategy accordingly.

UNI AS JN VN1854