Dear Editor,
Through the columns of your esteemed daily, I would like to bring request the Principal Secretary Transport, Government of Jammu & Kashmir for cancelling route permits of all those vehicles involved in illegal transportation of animals. As a Senior Vice President of Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) Jammu, vide order no DMJ/Misc/22-23/2789-92, dated August 23, 2022 issued by District Magistrate, I am authorized on behalf of SPCA to file applications, petitions and appeals related to animal welfare for the effective implementation of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960.
A lawyer is also empanelled to contest cases of animal abuse in the High court of J&K and Ladakh at Jammu and other subordinate courts in district Jammu. We have come across 130 FIRs in Jammu in 1 month in illegal and cruel bovine transport, in violation of the Transport of Animals Rules 1978, promulgated under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960 (excluding cases in Akhnoor and R S Pura Courts). I am attaching the FIR numbers and details of vehicles involved in concerned police stations in which SPCA has intervened.
There are several trucks and other vehicles involved in the FIRs in different police stations in Jammu and Kashmir which are later released by the court on payment of a small bond or a few days maintenance cost of case property animals pending litigation.
This is hardly any deterrent to the persons accused of animal smuggling and they go on to their business of cattle smuggling jeopardizing welfare of animals and public safety.
The revenue they generate by such illegal businesses is used for illegal activities which put public safety at risk in J&K. Rule 97 of the Transport of Animals Rules 1978 require that in the event of contravention or noncompliance of the Rules during the transport of Animals, any permits or authorization issued for such transport shall be immediately canceled by the concerned authority.
The details of some of some vehicles along with FIR no and concerned police stations is given hereunder: FIRs 270/2022 Truck (JK18C-7694), 248/2022 (JK14H-6907), 06/2023 (JK02BD-9830) and 01/2023 (JK14H-4692) and 262/2022 (JK13D-9898) registered at Police Post Manwal; FIRs 02/2023 (JK02BT-6357), FIRs No 222/2022 (JK02AS-2772), 185/2022 (JK02CX-3758) and 05/2023 (JKo6B-3087) registered at Police Station Jhajjar Kotli, FIR No 322/2022 (JK14A-6958) registered at Police Station Domana; FIR N0 425/2022 (JK02CB-5411) registered at Police Station Nagrota; FIR No 118/2022 (JK03E-3951) registered at Police Station Bagh-e-Bahu; FIR No 296/2022 (Two Mahindra Bolero load carrier JK02CQ-2728 and JK02BL-0231) registered at Police Station Domana; FIR No 212/2022 registered under sections 188 of IPC, 11 of PCA Act, 50, 52, 54, 56 of Transport Rules (JK20A-4382) at Police Station Akhnoor and FIR No 0288, dated October 11, 2022 (JKo3E-7185) registered at Police Post Chowki Choura, Akhnoor.
It is requested that immediate action should be taken by cancelling permits issued to above mentioned vehicles, in compliance with Transport of Animals Rules 1978, since the Concerned Authority granting permit to motor vehicles is the Transport Department of J&K.
Rumpy Madaan,
Senior Vice President SPCA, Jammu.