Kathmandu, November 8
Agriculture, Forests and Environment Minister Geeta Chaudhary has said the government has prepared a draft of a separate Animal Welfare Bill to strengthen the legal framework on animal welfare, and is now collecting feedback from stakeholders.
Speaking at a programme held on Sunday to mark Kukur Tihar, she said the government is advancing policy and legal measures to protect animals and birds and to curb cruelty against them.
According to the minister, the draft bill was prepared and moved forward after the Council of Ministers gave its approval in principle in 2021. She said there has been a long-standing demand for a separate law on animal rights and welfare, and that the government is active in addressing it.
Minister Chaudhary said the Constitution of Nepal also contains provisions on animal welfare. She added that the Muluki Criminal Code, 2074, has provisions to control negligent rearing of animals, abandoning them, and cruel treatment. According to her, the same law provides for punishment in cases of cruelty to animals.
She said the Animal Welfare Directives, 2073, also offer clear guidance on animal welfare. The directives prohibit cruelty during the transport of animals. They also state that working animals can be made to work for no more than eight hours a day and must be given at least one day of rest each week.
The minister said the government-established National Animal Welfare and Resource Management Office coordinates animal welfare activities and publishes the necessary technical guidelines.
Stressing that effective implementation of existing provisions is as necessary as building a legal framework, she said the government is committed to ending abuse and cruelty against animals and birds.
She also cited a historical example, saying then Prime Minister Juddha Shamsher established the Pashupatinath Gaushala in 1984 BS. This showed, she said, that the practice of protecting animals in Nepal dates back a long time.
