SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Government on Tuesday constituted the Jammu and Kashmir Animal Welfare Board in accordance with the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 and in compliance with directions of the Supreme Court of India.
According to Government Order No.1970-JK(GAD) of 2025 issued by the General Administration Department, the Board will have the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir as its Patron and the Minister for Animal and Sheep Husbandry as Chairperson.
The Board comprises senior officials from key departments, including the Director General of Police or his nominee, Administrative Secretaries of Animal and Sheep Husbandry, Housing and Urban Development, Forest, Ecology and Environment, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, and Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs. Commissioners of the Srinagar and Jammu Municipal Corporations, the Chief Wildlife Warden, Directors of Urban Local Bodies, Rural Development, Sheep Husbandry and Animal Husbandry from both Jammu and Kashmir divisions are also ex-officio members.
In addition, the Board will include a veterinary expert from an agricultural or technical university, two MLAs to be nominated by the Patron, two representatives from animal welfare NGOs nominated by the Chairperson, a representative of the Animal Welfare Board of India, and two eminent individuals from the fields of animal welfare or law.
As per the order, the Board will function as the apex advisory and coordinating body on animal welfare in the Union Territory. Its mandate includes advising the government on animal welfare policy and legislation, overseeing enforcement of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, coordinating the functioning of District Societies for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and acting as the nodal platform for planning and implementation of animal welfare schemes.
The Board will also oversee registration and inspection of pet shops, breeders and animal markets, handle public complaints related to animal cruelty, coordinate rescue and relief measures, promote public awareness, and organise training programmes for police, veterinary and municipal officials.
Non-official members will have a tenure of three years and will serve in an honorary capacity, with no remuneration except admissible travel and meeting-related allowances. The Board is required to meet at least once every quarter and submit an annual report to the Animal Welfare Board of India, while ensuring transparency through quarterly disclosures on its official website.
The Secretariat of the Board will be provided from within the existing establishment of the Animal Husbandry Department, without creation of new posts, the order said.
