COURT SEEKS ANSWERS ON POULTRY RULE

The Supreme Court on Friday asked the Centre whether it is under pressure from poultry industry not to frame rules for the protection of poultry farms and hatcheries.

A three- judge bench of Chief Justice T. S. Thakur and Justices A. M. Kanwilkar and D. Y. Chandrachud asked Additional Solicitor General Maninder Singh as to why there is delay of more than five years in framing the rules even after the Animal Welfare Board had sent draft rules to the government.

The CJI asked the ASG “why are you not sitting over the rules. Are you under pressure from the industry.” To a question from the CJI whether he was vegetarian or nonvegetarian, Mr. Venugopal quipped “I am a strict non- vegetarian and said most of them in Kerala are non- vegetarians.” The CJI then asked the law officer Mr Maninder Singh whether he was a vegetarian and he replied that h0e was also a non- vegetarian.

Earlier senior counsel K. K. Venugopal, appearing for the Board informed the court as to how Indian farms have confined hens in barren battery cages.