Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: THE Allahabad High Court has directed the Uttar Pradesh Government to give priority to addressing the growing monkey menace across the state and prepare an action plan within four weeks, reported IANS.
A Bench of Chief Justice Arun Bhansali and Justice Kshitij Shailendra passed the order while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) highlighting the increasing incidents of man-monkey conflict, starvation, and loss of habitat faced by monkeys across Uttar Pradesh.
In its order, the Bench noted that a counter affidavit has been filed on behalf of the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) and directed that it be taken on record.
The state informed the HC that a preliminary meeting had been held with officials of the Forest, Environment and Climate Change Department, and sought two months’ time since a policy decision involving multiple departments was required. Rejecting the plea for more time, the Bench observed, “Though a period of two months has been sought, the same appears to be a substantially long period. The respondents are required to give some priority to the issue in question and therefore, they are granted four weeks’ time to do the needful.”
The petitioners submitted a Tentative Action Plan to the HC, which directed the state government to consider it while preparing its own framework.
It further directed that the state government should consult the Animal Welfare Board of India and the Uttar Pradesh State Animal Welfare Board “while taking a decision in this regard.”
