Govt examining proposals on raising penalty for animal cruelty

The government is examining several representations received on raising the penalty for animal cruelty from the existing Rs 50 for such an offence, Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Sanjeev Kumar Balyan informed Parliament on Tuesday.

Balyan, in a written reply to the Lok Sabha, said the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying has been receiving number of representations from various animal welfare organizations, animal lovers and persons regarding increase in current penalty prescribed in the Prevention of Cruelty to Animal Act (PCA), 1960.

"The Department is examining those representation regarding possibility of increasing the existing penalty," he said.

The PCA currently stipulates a penalty up to Rs 50 for any act of cruelty against animals, including starving, torturing, beating, kicking and mutilating the animal.