The Hindu : New Delhi News : MCD officers to be held responsible for deaths caused by stray cattle

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, May 13, 2005

New Delhi

New Delhi

MCD officers to be held responsible for deaths caused by stray cattle

Staff Reporter

High Court rules the menace as violation of fundamental right

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday ruled that the Deputy Commissioner of each of the 12 zones of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) would be personally held responsible in case of injuries or deaths caused to citizens here by stray cattle.

A Division Bench comprising Justice B.C. Patel and Justice S.K. Kaul said the menace caused by stray cattle to the city dwellers was a violation of the Fundamental Right `Right to Life' guaranteed by Article 21 of the Constitution.

The Bench passed the ruling in the matter of a pending public interest litigation filed by the Common Cause seeking directions to the local body to remove the stray cattle from the city roads and streets.

However, the Bench gave an opportunity to the local body to explain to the Court within two weeks why these officials should not be held responsible the violation of the Fundamental Right.

The Bench had last week given the civic body a deadline of one week to solve the stray cattle menace in the Capital. The Bench had set the deadline when the civic body repeatedly failed to satisfy the Court on the point of implementing the various Court orders passed earlier for catching the stray cattle.

Earlier, counsel for the MCD submitted an affidavit in the name of a civic officer informing the Court that complying with the Court order the Corporation had almost cleared South and Central Zones of the stray cattle.

The local body sought a fortnight each for Shahdara South and Shahdara North and one week each for the remaining zones for removing the stray cattle but the Bench rejected its request.

The Bench said that it would monitor the operation of the local body on weekly basis.

To a submission by the local body that it lacked sufficient manpower and trucks to catch and carry the stray cattle to goshalas, the Bench suggested to it to outsource the two requirements.

Counsel for the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) in her submission said that there were very few stray cattle in this area.

Counsel for the petitioner, Meira Bhatia submitted that the MCD had never been serious to the menace.

The Bench directed the MCD, the NDMC and the Delhi police to coordinate among themselves and carry out the operation for removal of the stray cattle together.

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