RENOWNED GAUSHALA SCHOLAR GIRISH J SHAH RE-NOMINATED AS MEMBER OF AWBI

Pashu Sandesh, 03 June 2023

Dr R.B Chaudhary

Renowned Animal Welfare and Gaushala Development scholar, Shri Girish Jayantilal Shah who is also managing trustee of a National Award Winner Animal Welfare Organisation(AWO) - "Samast Mahajan" has been re-nominated once again as the Member of the Animal Welfare Board of India(AWBI). Shah is a guardian of hundreds of gaushalas and animal welfare organisations in the country by giving financial and technical support to AWOs. Samast Mahajan is the only Organisation in the country that donates about 30 to 40 crores of funds to AWOs each year and conducts 3-4 training and awareness programs to make the Gaushala self-reliant. He is the recipient of various National and international awards for the come outstanding contribution in the area of Animal Welfare and Gaushala development. Many animal welfare activists have greeted him for the re-nomination as Member AWBI.

This nomination is done Under sub-section (1) of Sections 4 and 5A of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960 (59 of 1960). The Central Government has re-nominated almost the same body of the AWBI that was functioning in the previous Board namely: Shri Rajiv Gupta, retired IAS; Professor(Dr) R S Chauhan; Viadyay (Dr) Hitesh Jani; Shri Sunil Mansinghka; Shri Ram Kishan Raghuvanshi; Ms Anjali Gopalan; Dr SP Gupta, retired IAS and Shri Rakesh Gupta. Rest Members have been included as members from various Ministries and departments as per the provision of the PCA Act,1960. The top officials are DGF & Special Secy, MoEF; Commissioner Animal Husbandry; Joint Secretary -Home Affairs; Joint Secretary -HRD; IGF-Wildlife; DG-ICMR; Representative of MCG-Guwahati.

And thus, a total of 17 Members of the AWBI have been nominated out of 28 members wherein 6 Members of Member of Parliament ( 4 Loksabha and 2 Rajya Sabha). Animal welfare activists throughout the country can hope that the major pending tasks and issues like amendment of the PCA Act 1960 and sufficient budget for animal welfare activities in the country will undoubtedly be taken on a priority basis for the Welfare of the animals.