PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Nainital
Uttarakhand High Court heard simultaneously the public interest litigations filed by the wildlife activist Gauri Maulekhi and religious leader Ajay Gautam, among others, on the issue of chaos prevailing during the Char Dham Yatra and cruelty to animals at the pilgrimage sites.
While hearing the case, the division bench of the court comprising Chief Justice Manoj Kumar Gupta and Justice Subhash Upadhyay, asked to amend the SOP issued by the government to reduce cruelty to animals at pilgrimage sites and to make the journey of devotees easier. Along with this, it also asked the government to consider the suggestion given by the wildlife activist regarding veterinary hospitals for the animals along the route.
At the hearing, the state government stated that a new SOP had already been issued to facilitate the yatra and ensure proper animal care. The court will now hear the case after three weeks.
