Strays dog BBMP Council meeting

A heated debate on dog menace and inadequate supply of medicines to treat the common man for dog bites at Primary Health Centres (PHCs) and government hospitals raised a furore in the House cutting across party lines.

The issue was raised by Neelasandra Councillor Lokesh, who said the NGO, which had its centre at Neelasandra, sterilised dogs and released them in his ward increasing the dog menace.

Other members of both ruling and Opposition parties appealed to the Mayor to ensure that the Animal Husbandry department takes immediate action in this regard. Responding to the allegation of unsuccessful implementation of the Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme, Joint Commissioner for Animal Husbandry Department, Dr Pervez Ahmed Piran said the BBMP had released 15 packages to NGOs and spent Rs 11 crore totally over the past three years to sterilise dogs in the City.

However, Opposition member K Chandrashekar from Hanumanthnagar remarked that while the cost of sterilising dogs had increased the number of dogs remained the same. “The department has failed in its objective in controlling dog population,” he added.

Mayor S K Nataraj said he too was concerned about the matter and assured that a detailed discussion will be held with officials to have a different approach to tackle the problem. Taking a dig at the Animal Husbandry department for their lack of efficiency, Nataraj said that the number of dogs they have captured are only in their books but nothing happens in reality.