Case title: Mustak Hussain Mehndi Hussain Kadri vs Jagadip Narayan Singh, IAS

A division bench of Justice AS Supehia and Justice MR Mengdey of Gujarat High Court pulled up the State government for not taking sufficient steps or coming up with a comprehensive policy to tackle the issue of stray cattle causing injuries to people of the states.

The bench said “When will the State understand that security and safety of the citizens is supreme? Why aren’t you taking it seriously? Where is the accountability of the officers? We want you to fix the accountability of a particular officer in every area, who will ensure cattle aren’t roaming on the road. But you have not done anything. Are you waiting for someone to die?”.

The bench demanded that they want permanent solution for the concern issue “Have you ever thought of the plight of the family members of those who have died in such incidents? Despite our orders, we keep reading that someone is attacked or has died due to cattle menace. We want a permanent solution to this issue”.

The bench further remarked that “It appears State government isn’t interested in this issue at all. Every other State has a policy, even Rajasthan has (a policy). But it seems the State wants people of Gujarat to die first of an accident in a cattle attack and then there will be an uproar and everything will cool down and there will be a dormant attitude by the State and you (AMC)”.

The government pleader submitted that the state government had taken numerous steps like installing CCTC’s cameras, building cattle hostels, launching awareness drives etc.

In the reply bench said that “So now frame a comprehensive policy and till then ask all the authorities to implement these steps in letter and spirit. We do not think the corporations have any intention to come up with any policy”.