In a boost to the Humane Society International-India and the People For Animals campaign asking for increase in penalties against animal cruelty prescribed under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960, MPs Meenakshi Lekhi, Varun Gandhi, Udit Raj and Raghav Lakhanpal have written to the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests to strengthen the Act.
Currently, the minimum penalty under the Act is Rs.10, while the maximum is Rs.50.
Letters from MPs cutting across party follow the filing of a private member Bill by MP Poonam Mahajan at the beginning of Parliament session.
In her letter, Ms. Lekhi stated that the PCA Act has not been revised since 1960.
Mr. Gandhi added: “The PCA Act was a strongly-worded law for 1960. However, since it has not been amended since, the enactment and penalties, which acted as deterrent in 1960, now no longer protect animals from cruelty.
Animal abusers take advantage of this and continue to inflict unfathomable amount of cruelty on animals. There is urgent need to amend the penal provisions of the Act to prevent unnecessary pain and suffering to animals.”
