In a move aimed at strengthening oversight of stray dog population management while addressing growing concerns over animal cruelty, the Gujarat government has constituted a 17-member state-level Animal Birth Control (ABC) implementation and monitoring committee. The panel has been tasked with ensuring effective enforcement of the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023, and preparing district-wise strategies to regulate the stray dog population across the state.

According to a notification issued by the urban development department (UDD) on December 16, the committee will also supervise the formation of ABC monitoring committees at the local authority level, as mandated under the revised rules. The initiative comes amid increasing complaints over the manner in which ABC programmes are being conducted, particularly allegations of cruelty and procedural lapses during sterilisation drives.

The state government has acknowledged that while population control is essential to reduce dog-related incidents, the implementation process must strictly adhere to animal welfare norms laid down under the law.

Panel Composition

The newly constituted committee will be chaired by the secretary of the urban development and urban housing department. Its members include the additional director (public health), additional development commissioner (panchayats), commissioner of municipality administration, municipal commissioners of Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar, the president of the Gujarat Veterinary Council, and representatives from district and taluka panchayats.

The panel also includes two representatives each from the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) and the Gujarat State Animal Welfare Board (GSAWB), reflecting the state’s attempt to bring animal welfare expertise into policy implementation.

The committee’s mandate includes preparing district-wise stray dog population management plans and ensuring that local bodies constitute monitoring committees in accordance with the ABC Rules, 2023. These local committees are expected to play a key role in supervising on-ground implementation and addressing complaints from citizens and animal welfare groups.

Focus on Trained Agencies and Infrastructure

One of the key responsibilities assigned to the committee is the empanelment of implementing agencies with the requisite training and experience to carry out sterilisation programmes. As per the notification, only agencies recognised by the AWBI will be authorised to conduct ABC operations.

The state-level panel has also been directed to ensure that adequate infrastructure is in place before any sterilisation drives are undertaken. This includes the availability of shelters, veterinary hospitals, post-operative care facilities and trained staff to handle animals in a humane manner.

The notification underlined that ABC programmes should not be conducted in a mechanical or hurried fashion and that infrastructure readiness is a prerequisite for effective and ethical population control.

Addressing Cruelty Complaints

The government has explicitly flagged concerns over cruelty in the implementation of earlier ABC programmes, noting that such issues require continuous monitoring and corrective action. The committee has been empowered to carry out inspections upon receiving complaints related to animal cruelty or violations of the ABC Rules and to take appropriate action against erring agencies or officials.

Mital Khetani, a member of the AWBI, said the move was necessary given the shortcomings observed in previous initiatives. She noted that stray dog population control requires a long-term, structured approach rather than sporadic drives. “There were several lacunae in the initiatives designed to control stray dog populations. This is an issue that needs sustained planning and monitoring. There is no quick fix,” she said.

With urban local bodies under increasing pressure to respond to dog bite incidents as well as animal welfare concerns, the state government’s latest move signals an attempt to strike a balance between public safety and humane treatment of animals. How effectively the new committee translates policy intent into consistent action on the ground will be closely watched in the months ahead.

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