No society for animal rights

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Neglecting animal rights, the district administration has failed to constitute the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) to ensure the protection of animals in the state capital. The starvation of cattle at the Goshala near Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple has raised serious concern on the dire state of animals here as the authorities have failed to constitute committee to ensure protection.

Around 30 cattle including calves were facing starvation and living under deplorable condition but the state authorities haven’t taken any action against the private trust under the Prevent-ion of Cruelty to Animal (Establishment and Regulation of Societies for Prevention of cruelty animal) Rules 2001.  

Though animal husbandry minister K. Raju visited the goshala, no immediate step was taken to shift the cattle to a safer environment. Animal husbandry director P.C. Sunil Kumar admitted that there is no SPCA in Thiruvananth-apuram district.

“We are in the process of reconstituting the SPCAs. Only some of the districts have SPCA. We have noticed the issue,” said Mr Sunil Kumar.

Idukki Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) Secretary M.N. Jayachandran said that the functioning of SPCAs across the state was derailed following an order issued during the term of the previous government.

“As per the Act, the district collector is the chairman of the SPCA. But the Kerala government issued an order to reconstitute the SPCA with the district panchayat president as the chairman. We raised an objection against the move and officially gave a letter to the Chief Secretary to reconsider the decision. The district collector has magisterial powers.  The current government also didn’t attempt to nullify the order issued by the UDF government,” said Mr Jayachandran.