[Stray Cattle Menace] "We want concrete and positive steps": Gujarat High Court summons DGP

The Gujarat High Court on Monday ordered local and State authorities to personally appear before it on Tuesday to explain the steps taken to deal with the stray cattle menace in major cities and towns. .A Bench of Chief Justice Aravind Kumar and Justice Ashutosh J Shastri said called for concrete and positive steps to control the cattle menace, warning that it would appoint an independent agency should the authorities not take action."All these committees will go. Let us be very clear. We want concrete and positive steps for this menace. It cannot go on like this. We will appoint an independent agency to catch all stray cattle and we will pass orders for the same. Else bring in some concrete steps," Chief Justice Kumar remarked..The observation was made after Senior Advocate Manisha Lavkumar Shah, representing the State government, furnished two affidavits - one by the traffic department and the other by the Urban Development Department (UDD). Besides listing the steps taken to control the issue, the affidavits also stated that the UDD has instructed all civic bodies to take appropriate action and also compensate citizens who get injured or lose their lives in attacks by stray cattle. Such action was prompted by the death of a man in an attack by stray cattle in Ahmedabad on October 3. .During the hearing, the counsel appearing for Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) informed the Bench that a decision has been taken to pay ₹2 lakh to the kin of the deceased. He clarified that this amount is not compensation, but only an amount to aid the family of the deceased.Advocate Asim Pandya, who is assisting the Court in this matter, urged the Bench to seek a clarification on whether the civic body would be paying this amount from taxpayer money or after recovery of the same from the cattle owner."Please take instructions on this aspect. We want to know if you are going to use taxpayers' money for this aid or if you would make the owners (of cattle) pay the monies. There should be some clarity on this," the Chief Justice said.Further, Pandya informed the Bench that as per the affidavits, crores of rupees are proposed to be used to catch the stray cattle. The Bench sought clarity on this aspect as well..The Court stopped short of passing an order to appoint an independent agency, instead deeming it fit to summon all the concerned authorities to know how they plan to deal with the issue."Therefore, we want the DGP, Commissioner of AMC, Secretaries of Home Affairs and UDD to remain present in this court on Tuesday afternoon. They would have to personally explain what they propose to do on this issue of cattle menace," the Bench said..On the last date of hearing, the Court ordered the State Animal Husbandry Department to file an affidavit listing the steps taken so far to address the issue."Have you ever gone for a walk around Ahmedabad? Have you seen the situation (due to stray cattle)? What have you done on this issue?" Chief Justice Kumar had asked the government counsel. .Gujarat High Court takes note of stray cattle problem in State, seeks response from authorities