Kathmandu, December 23

The Supreme Court has issued a writ of mandamus directing the government to stop transportation of domesticated meat animals and birds in inhumane and cruel manner.

The apex court said this in the full text of its verdict delivered in a case filed by advocates Padam Bahadur Shrestha and Shatkon Shrestha against the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, among others.

The SC had decided the case on February 11. The SC also issued a directive order to the government asking it to enact Animal Welfare Act to prohibit inhumane transportation of animals and birds.

A division bench of justices Meera Khadka and Tej Bahadur KC delivered the verdict.

The petitioners had stated in their writ petition that the government should prohibit people from transporting animals from one place to another in an inhumane and cruel manner as it was against the law.

They said the legal provision that barred people from transporting animals for more than eight hours without feeding them was being blatantly violated by traders in the absence of effective monitoring.