August 13, 2014
Parliament of India Urged to Revise the 1960 Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act
HSI/India’s urge for revision triggered by Supreme Court’s Judgment
Indian legislators are being urged by Humane Society International to replace the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act with the Draft Animal Welfare Bill 2014.
HSI/India took this action in the wake of a landmark judgment given by the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India in Animal Welfare Board of India Vs. A. Nagaraj case where it stated:
“Parliament is expected to make proper amendment of the PCA Act to provide an effective deterrent to achieve the object and purpose of the Act and for the violation of section 11, adequate penalties and punishments should be imposed.”
The board, acting on the directions of the Supreme Court, drafted the new bill.
HSI/India sent Parliament the draft along with the extract of judgment and photographs depicting animal cruelty. N.G Jayasimha, HSI/India’s managing director and member of the drafting committee said:
“The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act was a strongly worded law for 1960 when it was drafted, but has failed to protect animals for more than two decades now due to lack of enforcement. The current provisions, with penalties amounting to a maximum of only Rs. 50, fail miserably to deter animal abusers. Taking advantage of this obsolete act, animal abusers have continued to inflict unfathomable cruelty on animals. We urge the Parliament of India to treat this issue with utmost urgency so that the animal abusers do not go unpunished.”
HSI/India’s call to replace the 1960 PCA Act with the modern Animal Welfare Act coincides with Indian Independence month, an occasion to celebrate India’s liberation from years of servitude through ahimsa (non-violence). HSI/India is working to ensure Parliament passes the 2014 legislation, a paradigm shift from preventing cruelty to promoting animal welfare.
Media Contact: Navamita Mukherjee, +919985472760, email@example.com