Govt withdraws draft livestock Bill as animal rights groups raise red flag

The Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying, which comes under Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, issued an office memorandum Tuesday to withdraw the draft Bill.

On June 7, the department had circulated the draft Bill, seeking public comments and suggestions, drawing severe criticism from animal rights groups over several of proposed provisions.

According to the department, the existing law is a “pre-constitutional/pre-independence Central Act”, and therefore, a “need has been felt to align it with the contemporary requirements and prevailing circumstances related to sanitary and phyto-sanitary measures”.

“However, during the consultation, it has been viewed that enough time is required to understand the proposed draft and to make further comments/suggestions. Further, the representations have been made expressing concerns on proposed draft involving sensitivity and emotions with animal welfare and related aspects, and, hence, would need wider consultation,” department said.

“Considering the aforesaid views and with the approval of the competent authority, the proposed draft Bill stands withdrawn,” said memorandum issued by Joint Secretary G N Singh.

The draft Bill proposed inclusion of felines and canines in the definition of livestock. It defined livestock as “all equines (all live equine irrespective of purpose, including donkeys, horses, mules, asses, hinnies), bovines (all bovine animals including cattle, buffaloes, bullocks or any animals falling in the category of bovidae), caprines, ovines, swines, canines, felines, avian, laboratory animals, aquatic animals and any other animal which may be specified by the Central Government by notification in the Official Gazette from time to time, except those prohibited in any other Act”.

In the existing livestock importation law, felines and canines are not included in the definition of livestock.

The proposed draft Bill also defined the livestock and livestock products as a “commodity”. It defined “commodity” as livestock, products of livestock origin, livestock genetic material, biological products and pathological material of livestock origin.

The draft Bill also had provisions to regulate the livestock exports, while the existing law regulates only import of livestocks. Besides, the existing law gives powers to the state governments to make rules, while the proposed Bill had no such provisions.

As soon as the draft of the Bill was released in public domain, it drew sharp criticism over several provisions. Animal rights groups said that the proposed draft Bill will open a “Pandora’s Box” of cruelties on animals.