Shimla, Jun 21 (IANS): The Himachal Pradesh High Court has impleaded the Animal Welfare Board of India as party in a public interest litigation and other petitions pertaining to menace of monkeys and stray dogs in Shimla and its surroundings.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice M. S. Ramachandra Rao and Justice Ajay Mohan Goel passed this order to deal with the threat posed by monkeys and stray dogs.

Besides the Animal Welfare Board of India, the court has directed the Ministry of Fisheries, the Animal Husbandry and Dairying through the Secretary based in Faridabad to file suggestions to deal with monkey menace.

The court has also advised Advocate General to consult other bodies like Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, the temple trust dedicated to Tirupati's presiding deity, where there has been successful eradication of monkey menace or bodies having scientific expertise in the eradication of the stray dog menace and file a report on next the date of hearing on July 17.

The Municipal Corporation Shimla has already filed a compliance affidavit in the matter.