Helpless about stray dogs in Bengaluru, says govt

Beyond sterilisation drives and administering anti-rabies vaccines, the state government is helpless in dealing with stray dogs in Bengaluru, Law Minister JC Madhuswamy told the Karnataka Assembly on Tuesday.

He was responding to a question by Basavanagudi MLA Ravi Subramanaya. The lawmaker pointed out that the stray dog "problem" needed immediate intervention as many people, especially students on two-wheelers, get bitten.

"The agencies that are meant to conduct the sterilisation drive are not fulfilling their responsibilities properly. The government should identify open spaces outside the city to rehabilitate the stray dogs," Subramanya said. He also expressed concerns over lack of accurate data on stray dogs in the city.

Rajajinagar MLA Suresh Kumar, too, chipped in with his observation on how anti-rabies vaccine was also not easily available, making it difficult on the common man to access timely medication.

Responding to this, Madhuswamy said a Supreme Court order made it clear that the government could not take any measures beyond sterilisation or administering anti-rabies vaccine. "Animal welfare organisations, who have filed so many petitions before the Court, have made it impossible for us to touch the dogs. Definitely, culling the dogs or relocating them is out of question," he said.

The government is sterlising dogs to control their reprodution, Madhuswamy said, adding that there is no shortage of the anti-rabies vaccine.

Relocating dogs and sheltering them in facilities akin to the goshalas for cows is problematic, Madhuswamy said. "What will happen if the dogs enter some village and the villagers stage a protest in front of Vidhana Soudha? What do we do then," he asked rhetorically.

Kumar, a former law minister himself, quipped: "Reading the Supreme Court order makes us feel like we should have been dogs." He urged the government to consider filing a review petition before the top court, a suggestion Madhuswamy said the government will examine.

According to government data, 1.81 lakh dogs have been sterilised in Bengaluru over the last four years, while 2.53 lakh have been given anti-rabies vaccine.

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