Jaipur: Rajasthan High Court Tuesday directed Directorate of Local Bodies and Panchayati Raj Department to submit affidavits detailing the action taken by them to comply with Supreme Court’s directions on stray dog management and public safety in Rajasthan.A division bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay K Agarwal and Justice Sameer Jain issued the directions while hearing suo motu proceedings initiated in compliance with Supreme Court’s order for continuous monitoring of its directives concerning stray dogs.The court directed the Director/Special Secretary of Directorate of Local Bodies and the Secretary of Panchayati Raj Department to place on record the steps taken by their respective departments. The matter has been listed for further hearing on Nov 5, 2026.The proceedings stem from Supreme Court’s May 19, 2026, order in In Re: “City Hounded by Strays, Kids Pay Price”, Suo Motu Petition. The apex court had directed all high courts to initiate suo motu proceedings to monitor compliance with its earlier directions on stray dog management. In its Aug 22, 2025, order, Supreme Court issued directions concerning the implementation of the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023. These included sterilisation, deworming and vaccination of stray dogs, development of adequate infrastructure and regulation of feeding in public places.Subsequently, in its Nov 7, 2025, order, the apex court issued further directions to address the presence of stray dogs in institutional premises, including educational institutions, hospitals, sports complexes, bus stands and railway stations.Emphasising effective implementation, coordination among govt departments and accountability, Supreme Court directed the concerned state authorities to submit updated compliance affidavits before their respective high courts. It also empowered the high courts to exercise continuing judicial oversight and take appropriate action in cases of non-compliance.The matter will be taken up next on Nov 5 for further consideration.Amicus Curiae Prateek Kasliwal informed the court that the municipal authorities are supposed to file a detailed affidavit detailing statistics of resources about dog pounds, veterinarians, dog-catching personnel, specially modified vehicles and cages available on date for the purpose of compliance with the ABC rules. This compliance has to be done by the state, the details of which have to be furnished before Supreme Court before Nov 17.
