Lok Sabha Question No. 1627 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-10
Subject: State Animal Welfare Boards
Ministry: FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING
Asked by: Shri G Lakshminarayana, Shri Appalanaidu Kalisetti, Shri Tangella Uday Srinivas

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING DEPARTMENT OF ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1627 TO BE ANSWERED ON 10 TH  FEBRUARY, 2026

## STATE ANIMAL WELFARE BOARDS

1627

SHRI G LAKSHMINARAYANA:

SHRI TANGELLA UDAY SRINIVAS:

SHRI APPALANAIDU KALISETTI:

Will the Minister of FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING मत्स्यपालन , पशुपालन और डेयरी मंत्री be pleased to state:

- (a)  the  total  number of  State Animal Welfare Boards (SAWBs) established across the country, State/UT-wise;
- (b)  the  current  functional  status  of  each  SAWB,  indicating  whether  fully  operational,  partially functional or inactive, State-wise;
- (c) the sanctioned strength of officials and staff, number in position and number of vacancies in each SAWB, State/UT-wise;
- (d) the number of pet shops and dog breeders registered by these Boards, year-wise since inception of scheme, year and State-wise;
- (e) the number of reports submitted by each SAWB to the Ministry and the details thereof;
- (f) the number of meetings held, frequency of meetings and details of the most recent meeting, including key decisions taken in this regard;
- (g) whether there are any reported challenges in operationalising SAWBs and if so, the details thereof; State/UT-wise; and
- (h) the steps taken or proposed to be taken by the Government to strengthen SAWBs, including budgetary support, capacity building and monitoring mechanisms?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING (SHRI RAJIV RANJAN SINGH ALIAS LALAN SINGH)

- (a) 35 States and UTs across the Country except the UT of Lakshadweep have formed the State Animal Welfare Boards in compliance of the order of the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India.
- (b) The State-wise details of current functional status of each SAWB, indicating whether fully operational, partially functioning or inactive, is enclosed at Annexure - I

(c) State Animal  Welfare  Boards  (SAWBs)  have  been  constituted  by  the  respective  State Governments/Union Territory Administrations in compliance with the directions of the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India in W.P.(C) No.440 of 2000 dated 6.8.2008 and in W.P(C) No.881 of 2014 dated  13.7.2015,  to  effectively  implement  animal  welfare  laws  and  policies.  The  manpower engaged by the various State Government as per the need, is not maintained.

- (d) There is no separate scheme for registration of pet shops and dog breeders. However, the Central  Government  has  notified  the  Prevention  of  Cruelty  to  Animals  (Dog  Breeding  and Marketing) Rules, 2017 and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Pet Shop) Rules, 2018, under which the State Animal Welfare Boards are authorized to register pet  shops  and  dog  breeders operating within their respective States/Union Territories. The details of number of pet shops and dog breeders registered by the SAWBs are maintained by the respective States/Union Territories.
- (e) & (f) At  present,  there  is  no  statutory  or  legal  provision  mandating  the  State Animal Welfare Boards (SAWBs) to submit reports and reporting of meetings to the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) or to the Ministry.
- (g) No such information received.

(h) The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying and Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) has held regular meetings with the officials of the State Animal Welfare Boards to review animal welfare issues, to strengthen the implementation of the provisions of the Prevention of Cruelty  to  Animals  Act,  1960  and  the  Rules  made  thereunder,  and  to  ensure  prevention  of unnecessary pain or suffering to animals.

However, there is no provision for budgetary support to the State Board. The State Board are working  independently  and  the  necessary  budgetary  arrangements  are  made  by  the  State Government for their functioning.

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## Status of State Animal Welfare Boards Constituted by State Governments and Union Territory Administrations

|   S. No | State                            | Fully Operational   | Partially functional   | Inactive   |
|---------|----------------------------------|---------------------|------------------------|------------|
|       1 | Andaman &Nicobar Islands         |                     | Yes                    |            |
|       2 | Assam                            |                     | Yes                    |            |
|       3 | Andhra Pradesh                   | Yes                 |                        |            |
|       4 | Arunachal Pradesh                |                     |                        | Yes        |
|       5 | Bihar                            | Yes                 |                        |            |
|       6 | Chandigarh                       |                     | Yes                    |            |
|       7 | Chhattisgarh                     |                     | Yes                    |            |
|       8 | Dadra &Nagar Haveli (Diu& Daman) |                     |                        | Yes        |
|       9 | Goa                              | Yes                 |                        |            |
|      10 | Gujarat                          | Yes                 |                        |            |
|      11 | Himachal Pradesh                 |                     | Yes                    |            |
|      12 | Haryana                          |                     | Yes                    |            |
|      13 | Jharkhand                        |                     |                        | Yes        |
|      14 | Jammu &Kashmir                   | Yes                 |                        |            |
|      15 | Kerala                           | Yes                 |                        |            |
|      16 | Karnataka                        | Yes                 |                        |            |
|      17 | Maharashtra                      | Yes                 |                        |            |
|      18 | Meghalaya                        |                     | Yes                    |            |
|      19 | Mizoram                          |                     | Yes                    |            |
|      20 | Madhya Pradesh                   | Yes                 |                        |            |
|      21 | Manipur                          |                     |                        | Yes        |
|      22 | Delhi                            | Yes                 |                        |            |
|      23 | Nagaland                         |                     |                        | Yes        |
|      24 | Odisha                           | Yes                 |                        |            |
|      25 | Punjab                           | Yes                 |                        |            |
|      26 | Puducherry                       |                     |                        | Yes        |
|      27 | Rajasthan                        | Yes                 |                        |            |
|      28 | Sikkim                           |                     |                        | Yes        |
|      29 | Tamil Nadu                       | Yes                 |                        |            |
|      30 | Telangana                        | Yes                 |                        |            |
|      31 | Tripura                          | Yes                 |                        |            |
|      32 | Uttarakhand                      | Yes                 |                        |            |
|      33 | Uttar Pradesh                    |                     | Yes                    |            |
|      34 | West Bengal                      |                     | Yes                    |            |
|      35 | Ladakh                           |                     | Yes                    |            |
|      36 | Lakshadweep                      |                     |                        | Yes        |