Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: The High Court of Bombay at Goa has expressed strong displeasure over the National Highways Authority of India’s (NHAI) failure to submit a compliance affidavit in a case concerning stray dog management, warning that a bailable warrant could be issued against its officer in charge in Goa.
The Division Bench of Justice Valmiki Menezes and Justice Amit Jamsandekar noted that NHAI had already received two notices along with copies of the relevant court orders. The directions had also been sent to the authority by email, but the required affidavit was still not filed.
The court said the matter relates to directions issued by the Supreme Court during its suo motu proceedings on the implementation of the Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme. The High Court is monitoring compliance with those directions in Goa.
The Bench also referred to its August 5 order, under which NHAI and the Union of India had been granted additional time to submit their affidavits. Despite the extension, the documents had not been filed.
NHAI and the Union of India have now been directed to submit their compliance affidavits by August 19. The case will be taken up again on the same date.
The Bench also raised concerns over the absence of reliable information about the number of stray dogs in Goa and questioned the authorities on whether they had an accurate estimate of the stray dog population.
The court observed that a meaningful strategy to address the issue would require proper data and directed the authorities to prepare a basic plan for assessing the stray dog population and addressing the problem.
The proceedings are part of the High Court’s monitoring of the Supreme Court’s directions on stray dog management, with the broader objective of addressing public safety concerns while ensuring compliance with animal welfare measures.
