Kerala yet to submit rabies elimination plan, says Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh

The Kerala government has not finalised and submitted the State Action Plan for Rabies Elimination (SAPRE), Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Rajiv Ranjan Singh informed in a letter to Kodikunnil Suresh, MP.

“The National Action Plan for Dog-Mediated Rabies Elimination (NAPRE) has been launched, under which States are required to prepare and implement their respective SAPREs. However, the Government of Kerala is yet to finalise and submit its SAPRE. It is necessary that this process be expedited to ensure effective coordination and eligibility for Central support under the plan,” Mr. Singh said.

The Union Minister said the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) has extended support to Kerala in managing the stray population by recognising Animal Birth Control (ABC) centres in Kannur, Kollam, Thrissur, Ernakulam, Alappuzha and Wayanad. “Approval has also been granted for conducting ABC programmes through mobile units and by government veterinary hospitals using trained veterinarians,” he said.

Mr. Singh further noted that AWBI has recently published an animal birth control module to guide the implementation of the programme and has issued a series of advisories to promote humane management of stray animals, encourage vaccination and reduce human-animal conflict. He emphasised that the continued support and proactive intervention of the State government in implementing the ABC Rules and preparing the SAPRE would be crucial in preventing rabies deaths.

The SAPRE in Kerala is being prepared jointly by the Health, Animal Husbandry and Local Self Government departments, with the Health department acting as the nodal agency.

“The preparation of SAPRE is nearing completion. Since it is a joint action plan, we need to consolidate the inputs from all three departments. Once that is done, we will submit it to the Union Ministry for vetting,” said a Health department official.

MP slams Kerala govt

Meanwhile, Mr. Suresh criticised the Kerala government for the delay in submitting the action plan.

“The submission of SAPRE is a mandatory requirement. The delay has now been flagged by the Union government. Despite repeated reminders and formal communications issued by the Ministry and the AWBI, the State government has failed to act. The ABC Rules, 2023, remain largely unimplemented across Kerala in the absence of SAPRE. This is not merely an administrative delay, but an outright failure of governance,” the Mavelikara MP said.